So many names fly through the air here:
Speedy
Chandler
Dad
Grandpa
Dadoo
Gackaw
Chan Jr.
Friend
Neighbor
All names I have heard for my Father-in-law since 1972 when I first met Speedy while courting his oldest daughter Sue.
And names spoken from Speedy’s lips:
Doodlebug
Doll
Little monkey
Easy money
Can’t forget the animals…
Scardy cat (for a dog)
Beggar
Poor ol hound
Speedy always used names to demonstrate life.
If you notice the names he was called are all affectionate names.
Likewise the names that Speedy used for others demonstrated affection and love.
Speedy used names that demonstrated a joy for life and a love for living.
And then memories of loving actions fill the air here:
Running through the sprinkler after a day of work in the heat…
The Giraffe ride
The Elephant ride
The Horsey ride on the foot
Lunch bucket candy and snacks
Generous amounts of ice cream money for the kids… I mean generous.
Flowers to his wife Pat on any and every kind of situation or event.
Always making sure that even I got enough to eat at cook-outs.
And you can’t forget the animals:
His adopted dog Midnight and the 10% -
Speedy would make sure Midnight got his 10%
Every breakfast 3 sausage patties – 2 for Speedy and 1 for Midnight --- a generous 10%
Speedy demonstrated love in affectionate names and love in affectionate actions.
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It was Sunday September 2nd that Pastor Lamar came to visit. Pastor visited with Speedy and family.
We briefly reflected on an article that I had just read about the “death bed” in the middle of the family room.
As we all gathered by Speedy’s side to witness the life of one great man;
The “death bed” in the middle of the room was the center yet---
not the center of attention.
The real center of attention was the life and love that Speedy had brought into his presence on this day and the days to follow.
How many years had family and friends gathered in this room to sit and talk to Speedy, to celebrate special dates and to eat food together?
So much time in this same family room spent talking about history, movies, watching TV, and listening to Speedy reflect upon Scripture
And, one of his favorites, “The End times.”
The Family Room on this Sunday September 2nd with family and Pastor gathered.
Signs of life and signs of death, all gathered in one place.
It was flesh and spirit together.
---
The names of Speedy and the names he used hovered in the air that day.
And then in the prayer, Pastor Lamar, used the one name for Speedy that will always stick… “Child of God.”
With all of the names past, present, and future, the one name that most needs repeated is that Speedy was a Child of God.
When we hear the name Child of God we think of our humanity in the flesh and our salvation in the spirit.
We remember the Father’s Son, Jesus and his life, ministry, healing, suffering, death, resurrection and ascension.
We begin to realize the reality of God’s presence in the Family Room of life.
Yes, here in this room with the deathbed present, we witness to the life that God has graciously given us through Speedy.
A life made special through Jesus living and through Speedy’s strong and firm belief of his salvation through Jesus alone.
Pastor Lamar hit the name on the head…
The one name that mattered…
That was connected to that source of eternal life through Jesus…
“Child of God.”
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Speedy loved to talk.
If you visited, I could imagine 80% of the time you would be listening.
Speedy’s mind was amazing to me.
God gifted Speedy with a memory and wisdom that reminded me of King Solomon.
He could talk and talk and talk.
I would sit there and listen and listen and listen and wonder how someone could retain so much information about history, wars, airplanes, ships, movies, museums and the Bible.
I just couldn’t imagine a mind able to hold so much without letting something else go.
But Speedy’s mind held it and he could talk about it.
His voice may go quiet for a while but his conversations will go on in the lives of so many people.
Life with Speedy will go on and on.
---
Life not only demonstrated in conversation but also in compassion and giving.
Speedy exhibited a giving heart.
Not just a contribution, but a gift from much deeper within.
Giving that came with the caring of the love and the names that you would hear from his lips.
Giving with the action of love behind it.
As a Child of God, Speedy lived the life that he was called to live by God.
He lived in service to his country,
In service to his many years at Armco,
And in service to his family, friends, neighbors
And even all the animals that would stray his way.
Speedy lived a life of love and compassion that God had led him to live.
---
On the evening that Speedy died…
Pastor Clark and I remained with Speedy for the family to get away for a while
This Church is blessed with wonderful pastoral leadership and love
I stayed to attend to the affairs of the necessary needs of moving his body…
Afterwards I locked the house went home.
I paused for a moment with the last section of the Journal that I hadn’t read due to all of the activity of the day.
The funnies and my favorite the Jumble puzzle.
While solving the Jumble’s four words I discovered the four words for September 6th puzzle
The first word was “Uncle”
Speedy was a caring and loving Uncle to many there that evening.
Nieces and nephews were gathered together that evening and at this moment were off eating as I attended those final needs.
The second word was “Octet”
I felt a part of Speedy’s family ---
I was the youngest by three or four years to his youngest daughter Amy.
Not the youngest in age by far but the youngest growing up in the family.
4-daughters
1-Son
1-Son-in-law
1-Wife
1-Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ
An Octet
The third word was “Liquid”
Now all of you Baptists here just settle down and hear me out…
I’m a Lutheran and Speedy and I shared so many times together in Biblical conversation.
But Speedy would always welcome me to share a beer with him.
So… on one of the evenings while Speedy lay in the bed in the Family Room
I shared with Speedy spongefulls of Odoul’s with him.
And he enjoyed it…
And I enjoyed it…
The fourth and final word was “Speedy”
How about that!
It’s as if Speedy had given me a chance to continue the conversation
A conversation of Spirit and love
But the best of all came with the Answer to the Jumble
Speedy loves his daughters
The Jumble puzzle pictured a couple of girls playing with a Barbie doll.
One girl said, “Barbie, time to get ready.”
The other girl said, “She should wear this fancy dress to the dance.”
The caption read “When Barbie would go out on a date, she’d get this.”
And the puzzle answer?
“Dolled Up”
Doll the very name Speedy would use for his wife, daughters and grand-daughters!
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Names
Conversations
Loving Actions
Living as a Child of God
Yes, since I met Speedy I was gifted with the time to see God active in his life and living.
I was gifted with time to see love and compassion lived for another.
I was gifted to see life even in death.
A life that reaches beyond the failure of our decaying flesh
to a demonstration of life in heaven.
A life given to you and to me through Jesus.
Life that Speedy let live in and through him.
---
Speedy,
When it’s all been said and done
You lived your life for truth
You lived your life for Christ
You knew what real treasure was
You lived a life that will stand the test of time
Speedy,
You saw beyond weak flesh
You saw the gold that God saw in miry clay
You lived a sinner and a saint
Speedy,
You praised God’s name
Here in this place
And now in heaven forever
Speedy,
You’re home now
And you know that Jesus was your life
And, I’m not the only one to witness life in Speedy.
Life that lives on in the spirit of love lived.
Speedy, thanks for the gift… “Child of God” …
example of a life lived in faith… yesterday… today… tomorrow… and forever.
Thanks be to God!
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