I’ve been thinking of this day for a few years now. The older dad got, the more I realized this
day was coming. No matter how much we
wish to the contrary, our loved ones will not be with us here on earth
forever. So for the past few years, I’ve
been thinking about what I would say when this time came. My dad didn’t travel a lot. He was content to live here in Bogue Chitto
his entire life. He had no desire to
move. He lived 80 years in virtually the same spot. We lived in the old home place across the
street from where mom and dad live now until I was about 10 or 11. We built the house they live in now across
the street and just moved over there. He
attended Bogue Chitto Baptist Church for all of his 80 years. He never had a desire to be anywhere else.
So my mind
wondered, what kind of impact can a person make whom hardly ever leaves the
place where he was born? Dad was a simple man.
He never really did anything extraordinary according to the world’s
standards. He didn’t need a lot of the things many of us “need.” He could get by without the latest gadgets,
unless it was a new harmonica. He rarely
raised his voice. Someone came thru the
receiving line last night and said that they had never heard him raise his
voice. I told them I only heard it once. It wasn’t directed at me, thankfully, or any
of my family. It was of all places at a
little league baseball game. I played my
first two years of little league at Keystone Field for Herring Gas. We were playing our hated rivals, Coke, one
night. I was playing first base. A ball was hit to our shortstop who threw low
to me which caused me to have to fall forward after I caught the ball. The umpire called the runner safe. Wow, what did he do that for. Several people, including my dad, lit in to him. We lost the game, and as we were walking out
dad continued to tell the umpire how wrong he was in his call. When he was done, I really felt bad for the
umpire.
Dad was an
honest man who lived an honest life.
After he left Love’s TV in Brookhaven, he opened his own TV shop here in
Bogue Chitto. He charged modestly for his services. He could have charged a lot more than he did,
but he felt that giving people good service, at a good price was payment
enough. He never got rich by the world’s
standards, but that’s not why he did what he did.
So back to
my question. What kind of impact can
that person make? For the last few days,
I’ve listened to you. Everyone who has come by the house, every one who has come
thru the receiving line, every comment, every memory. Ecclesiates 7:1 says, A good name is better
than fine perfume, and the day of one’s death than the day of one’s birth. John David came over to the house to visit on
Friday morning, and he shared how dad had impacted his life and the lives of
many of the younger people in the church.
I talked to dad last Sunday. We talked
about his health. I told him that when I’m
80 I hope that I could get around half as well as he did. As I hear every memory from you all, I also
pray that when I’m 80 I’ll have impacted even half as many people as he did. His family is his legacy. You all here today are his legacy. Thank you
for being a part of his story, thank you for being a part of my story. As many of you know, Dad loved to sing. Thank you for making his life a beautiful
melody.
