Happy Birthday Grandpa!

Happy Birthday Grandpa!

I've been thinking about what we could give you, something special for what is probably your last birthday. But what can we get you that will even compare to all you are going to enjoy soon in Heaven. I've been thinking a lot about what you told the doctor in the hospital when he asked you what in all the world you would like to do or go see before you died and he would help drug you up so you wouldn't feel the pain and could go do it. Instead of coming up with a beautiful place to visit or something fun to do, you told him you just wanted to be home surrounded by family to talk with each of us and be together. You're not focused on this Earth that’s going to fade away; you’re focused on the only thing that matters, the souls of your family, friends, and even strangers that will live on for eternity. Why would you want to waste time visiting a beach here on earth when you're about to see the most beautiful beaches, mountains, rivers, and things we can't even comprehend yet here. I want to live like that. Yes, these things God has created are beautiful here on Earth and enjoyable for sure, but are my goals here on Earth to be able to go on the next greatest vacation and buy the next greatest thing? Am I focusing on my girl’s hearts when they want me to stop and listen or am I too busy trying to get goals accomplished?  Am I focused on the bigger picture of what’s really important? I want my life to be meaningful, like yours has been. I have so many happy memories of you Grandpa. Begging for the comb out of your pocket so Scott and I could comb your hair and make it look silly, times when you and Grandma babysat me, going around your house looking for trash we could take out to the garbage man. Waiting standing in the garage watching for him to come so you could show me how the truck picked up the can, listening to you play piano, and sometimes Grandma would sing with you, as I laid in the guest bed during my naps, feeling safe and comforted by the hymns, waking from nap once from a horrible nightmare and sharing it with you and you helped me pray about what was worrying me, playing Rummikub and puzzles with you and Grandma, taking turns giving each other reflexology, getting down on the ground with us to play games or to let us walk on your back or whatever silly thing we’d come up with, watching you and Grandma kiss and feeling that security knowing all of my grandparents and parents loved each other, riding in your little orange car and rubbing the fur on the seats to make pictures in it, going to Arizona to feed the deer and see the Grand Canyon, searching through the storage shelves with you in your garage for fun things my mom and uncles used to play with and hearing stories about them, helping you fold bulletins and watching you switch the sign out at church, watching you close your eyes and pray silently by yourself throughout the day when something seemed to concern you even if everyone around was still talking, and learning I could do that myself too,  sitting in church week after week hearing you preach, hearing your heart, getting to go back and hug you at the end of service, coming over to your house every once in awhile after an evening service and eating cheeseburgers together, coming into your study while you were reading or writing and searching your desk drawers for your big magnifying glass, sitting on your back porch eating grapes and watching for humming birds or watching the rain with you and Grandma, and now bringing my babies over to your house to play with you and Grandma too. I watch my girls play with my dad now and see that special love and bond they have for him and it reminds me of the love I have for you as my Grandpa. I am really going to miss you Grandpa. Daniel and I want you to know we are going to do whatever we can to help take care of and be there for Grandma while you're apart. Thank you for teaching me so much, even through just watching your actions. Thank you for loving all of us and faithfully praying for all of us. No one is perfect, I know that, but you are truly a man of God we can look up to and learn from. You are consistent, not two faced, the same Grandpa whether behind the pulpit or at your home playing with us. You are a man of prayer. You're a man full of passion, through poetry and sharing your heart. I know you never really loved all the gift wrap that would fill up the trash cans at holidays, so we probably will just give you this letter and the pictures the girls drew for you when we come celebrate with you tomorrow. We love you Grandpa/Bobby!

Love, Daniel, Beth, Danyelle, Natasha, Claira, and Autumn.