What Are You Waiting For?
One of the things I love about the South is how people of all ages call their parents Mama and Daddy. Hearing a man in his forties talk about “Daddy” is a sweet thing. For many years, we’ve heard our friend (I’ll call him Jeffrey) talk about his. A few weeks ago, he sent us this message by email: “Daddy is breathing the fresh air with his new lungs with his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ tonight. Please pray for the ones he left behind who loved him dearly.” The following afternoon Jeffrey wrote these words which were later read at the funeral:
Our love for Daddy was only surpassed by his love for his family. Devoted husband, mentoring father, loving Granddaddy, truck driver, fisherman, and most-of-all, a precious child of God. We ache for the resurrection to be with him again. We will miss your love, your hugs, your advice, your grin, and your constant drive to make sure your family had everything they needed and more.
Bobby Gene’s battle was over and it was time to go home. He left behind his childhood sweetheart, Rena Lee. They were about a month shy of celebrating their sixtieth anniversary. After they were married in 1953, Rena Lee faithfully went to church, and when their two sons came along, she took them, too. After thirty years of marriage, her husband was baptized into Christ and joined her.
Our friend Jeffrey loves his family, too. He is also a devoted husband and mentoring father to his three homeschooled children. Like his daddy, he makes sure his family has everything they need and more. His daddy did that as a truck driver. Jeffrey does it as a mechanical engineer. Bobby Gene’s family estimates that through the decades he may have logged three million miles in his daily short runs. After driving all week, he spent Saturdays keeping his big truck going.
Is there something you’re waiting for? Rena Lee waited for thirty years for something she wanted. Hang in there. Don’t give up! Her Bobby Gene “is breathing the fresh air with his new lungs with his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” It was worth the wait.
But grow in the grace and knowledge
of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
To Him be the glory,
both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.
2 Peter 3:18, NASB
Praise the Lord for Rena Lee’s faithful witness to her husband! Praying for the loving family Bobby Gene left behind, as they eagerly anticipate being reunited someday in Glory. What a blessed assurance!
P.S. I love the “Mama and Daddy” of the South too. Maybe that’s because my parents will always be Mama and Daddy, no matter how old I get. I’ve never called them “Mom and Dad,” and I never will! 🙂