This morning my family buried my grandfather. In a couple weeks he was going to celebrate his 93rd birthday. We found out about a week ago that he only had a few days to live and medical treatment would no longer help him - to which he replied "That's the way the mop flops". This response was picturesque of Bill and the funny, incredible man he was. He lived life so hard, and had an incredibly long life.
I know that in a way this is a relief as he is no longer in pain, he's finally reunited with my grandmother and his brother, and let's be real - HE'S WITH GOD RIGHT NOW!!! How cool is that?! He is literally in the presence of Jesus right now - a place he has been planning for his entire life. But of course there is still pain for the loss during this life...
Bill was full of incredible stories. When he was 19 he was drafted and served in WWII as a paratrooper! That's right - he was legit. He was shot and earned a purple heart, and today he was honored with a military service funeral, which was a really unique and fitting experience to honor his sacrifice. As hard as funerals are, they are a great place to hear stories from all parts of a person's life from all different sources. And I think one of the biggest stories I will take away from my grandfather's life is the reason he so diligently went to church every Sunday. Growing up, my dad asked the same question that I'm sure many children have asked of their parents "Why do we have to go to church EVERY Sunday??? I'm tired/It's too cold/It's too hot/I don't want to/etc. etc." To which Bill answered: when I was in the war, watching so many of my friends die next to me, I made a promise to God that if He brought me home I would glorify Him with the rest of my life as best I could...and THAT is why we go to church every Sunday. He was gracious enough to bring me home, the least I can do is set aside time for Him every week.
Bill had such a heart and love for God, and it showed in everything he did. It was truly inspiring to hear stories of people who had come from far and wide to pay their respects to him and how he had changed their lives. I fully accept the stubbornness and will to fight that he has passed down, and I hope that I will make him proud with my life. He left an incredibly legacy that I will try to live up to - and will do my best to honor Christ the same way that he did.
Death is never easy. And as many of you probably never met Bill, this may not mean much to you - but of course this blog is mostly for my catharsis and coping. But even if you never had the opportunity to meet him, let his words convict you to truly live for Christ in every aspect of your life. He gives us way more grace and mercy than we can even think to deserve...so honor Him with everything you do. This life is only temporary, and we are not guaranteed another minute.
Here's a link to his obituary that was written by my parents, detailing a lot of the amazing things Bill did throughout his lifetime.
