Well to get completely serious now, we were at thanksgiving. It was my dad, my mom, my sisters, mark (my sisters husband), mark's parents, tim, jane, dale, brittney, myself, and my grandpa. My mom decided to try and have the "let's all say something that we are thankful for" speech. She said that she was thankful for her dad, my grandpa and that he was still here, alive and kicking. I remember thinking to myself, oh geez. I always get really mad at her when she tells me stuff like this or says stuff like this. I think she may actually have this as her spiritual gift. I don't know if she actually has control over it. But when she said that, it almost felt eerie. Unfortunately, three weeks later, my grandpa passed away. In no way am I blaming my mom. She said what she felt and it was well received. Luckily, her last words to him were that she loved him. However, it got me thinking about my grandpa.
While he was in the hospital, he had numerous visitors and we unfortunately had to tell them to go away. He had so many people that he knew and not only liked him and respected him. They also loved him. He went out of his way for other people. He loved to serve other people. He loved to bring home the stragglers, the lost, the out of favors, the unfortunate, and the misfits. He would bring them in and treat them as family. He had a servant's heart. He was "Jonathan" to many. He embodied what it really meant to love people unconditionally. He went to countless soccer games to watch me play and even watch me coach. He went to dance recitals, took us hiking all over North America, took us to lunch weekly when he wasn't strong enough to hike, took care of us in whatever we needed, and was always willing to listen and give wise advice when asked. He was a man of mystery as well. He was a go to guy back in WW2. He never had to use a gun but had to secretly acquire secret plans from other countries. Later on, he was in a think tank, that had all of the brightest minds at that time, to try and decide how much dust was on the moon. The question being answered was how deep is the dust and if we land, will we be able to take off. He helped develop the radar that answered the question. He helped create another radar that came back with pictures in color. He was a husband. God came first and then his wife. Whatever she wanted or needed, it happened... The story on how he actually met her is quite funny...
However, since this is a simple blog, I will stop by saying that this man is my hero. He was an incredibly passionate man. He put others before himself. He is the description of a servant leader. He loved and feared God and I know where he now is. He allowed others to feel God when they were around him and that quality alone endeared him. He died 87 years young. Thats 274,363,200 seconds. Grandpa, thank you for setting the example and helping guide the way.
