It is from him I learned a love for history. It could have been the stamp collection he helped me start or perhaps it was because I can always remember him being an antique dealer. Whatever the reason I find myself today with a plethora of books and old documents that I have collected and appreciated and more importantly learned from. I learned the importance of good grooming from this man. When I was barely old enough to be enamored by watching him shave he took an old razor, removed the blade, bought me my very own can of Colgate shaving cream and bottle of Aqua Velva, then stood me on a chair next to him in the bathroom so I could shave like papaw. He displayed for me what it was to be a gentleman, by among many things by always opening the door for my grandmother, a trait which he displayed until she passed away a few years back after 69 years of marriage. My Grandpa is my buddy and my hero, a man who’s responsible for some of the greatest memories I possess. And let me tell you that humor makes up a good portion of those memories! A few years back Grandpa shared with me, “Son, I’ve been married to your grandmother for 67 years now. I have traveled the world, I’ve seen beauty both far and wide, why I’ve even heard everything there is to hear and I want to tell you one of the most important things you’ll ever need to know about marriage, No man was ever shot by his wife while cleaning the house!” See what I mean? All of this floods my mind because last night we escorted Grandpa Henson to the local hospice for what could be the last chapter of his life. He is 94 years old and yet still is the gentleman and Christian I have always known him to be.
Now that I find myself being a Grandpa and thinking about my own it occurs to me that I want to be a grandpa like that! I remember reading what children thought Grandparents were. And I quote, “Grandparents don't have to do anything except be there when we come to see them. They are so old they shouldn't play hard or run. It is good if they drive us to the shops and give us money.” Also, “When they take us for walks, they slow down past things like pretty leaves and caterpillars.” “They don't say, 'Hurry up.” “They can take their teeth and gums out.” and, “When they read to us, they don't skip. They don't mind if we ask for the same story over again.” A 6 year old was asked where his grandma lived. “Oh,” he said, “she lives at the airport, and when we want her we just go and pick her up. Then when we are done having her we take her back and drop her off.” I just love how kids think!
What really stands out to me as I walk with my grandpa through this difficult time is the reality of the influence each of us possess in our lifetimes. Whether good or bad, we do have an influence. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.” Ronald Reagan once wrote, “No one denies there was such a man, that he lived and that he was put to death by crucifixion. Where...is the miracle I spoke of? Well consider this and let your imagination translate the story into our own time -- possibly to your own hometown. A young man whose father is a carpenter grows up working in his father's shop. One day he puts down his tools and walks out of his father's shop. He starts preaching on street corners and in the nearby countryside, walking from place to place, preaching all the while, even though he is not an ordained minister. He does this for three years. Then he is arrested, tried and convicted. There is no court of appeal, so he is executed at age 33 along with two common thieves. Those in charge of his execution roll dice to see who gets his clothing -- the only possessions he has. His family cannot afford a burial place for him so he is interred in a borrowed tomb. End of story? No, this uneducated, property less young man who...left no written word has, for 2000 years, had a greater effect on the world than all the rulers, kings, emperors; all the conquerors, generals and admirals, all the scholars, scientists and philosophers who have ever lived -- all of them put together. How do we explain that? Unless he really was who he said he was." So how is your influence? You do have one you know. Maybe the question should be this. Can someone say of your life, I want to be like that?
Grandpa above and below with Grandma, the love of his life!
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