Papa Amos
A few months ago I posted "And the World Gets Smaller". Written while at home, I concluded with the story behind my mom's rose bush. As of yesterday that story has come as close to full circle as we will see this side of eternity. My Papa Amos went to be with God.
Receiving that phone call late yesterday afternoon and then having to contact my parents and wait up for my grandmother was very difficult. Heartbroken for those left behind, death can make it's sting. While he is not my actual grandfather, he practically is. Papa Amos and his wife took in my mother when she moved to the USA to attend ACU. That relationship continued to grow even long after my parents married and had children. I recall many Christmases driving down through blizzardy Missouri conditions to spend the holidays with my grandmother and Amos&Dewby. If it was summer time my sister and I would play in the backyard with him while he attended to his rosé gardens. They were the most beautiful gardens. When we moved to our house in the country they made a trip to Wisconsin to visit. Papa brought a trimming from his climbing bush. Every spring and summer it blooms. This summer though I had the opportunity to see it far larger and with more buds than ever before. These are the memories I like to recall.
It is incredible when you run across other people who had come into contact with him over the years. The stories are all the same. You see, his wife is a sweetheart, she is the will help anyone-highly involved-GATA loving-ACU repping-popular-everyone-knows-her-face-one. I love her to pieces. But Amos was much quieter. He was the humble servant who would grow his roses to cut and take to people in hospitals and nursing homes. He served discretely and the stories all reflect that. He lived a beautiful life.
His death is sad and many people are grieving the loss of such a wonderful man. This is one of my first deaths of a close loved one. After talking with my grandma last night though, she reminded me that we can be sad, but God has called him home. As Christians we can rejoice knowing that our brother in Christ has entered the eternal rest that God Himself has prepared for us. The purpose of this post is to remember an amazing man. i hope it also gest you thinking. What does death mean to you? And when we come face to face with it, whether through others or one day, personally, can we say we've fought the good fight?
Where O death is your victory?
Receiving that phone call late yesterday afternoon and then having to contact my parents and wait up for my grandmother was very difficult. Heartbroken for those left behind, death can make it's sting. While he is not my actual grandfather, he practically is. Papa Amos and his wife took in my mother when she moved to the USA to attend ACU. That relationship continued to grow even long after my parents married and had children. I recall many Christmases driving down through blizzardy Missouri conditions to spend the holidays with my grandmother and Amos&Dewby. If it was summer time my sister and I would play in the backyard with him while he attended to his rosé gardens. They were the most beautiful gardens. When we moved to our house in the country they made a trip to Wisconsin to visit. Papa brought a trimming from his climbing bush. Every spring and summer it blooms. This summer though I had the opportunity to see it far larger and with more buds than ever before. These are the memories I like to recall.
It is incredible when you run across other people who had come into contact with him over the years. The stories are all the same. You see, his wife is a sweetheart, she is the will help anyone-highly involved-GATA loving-ACU repping-popular-everyone-knows-her-face-one. I love her to pieces. But Amos was much quieter. He was the humble servant who would grow his roses to cut and take to people in hospitals and nursing homes. He served discretely and the stories all reflect that. He lived a beautiful life.
His death is sad and many people are grieving the loss of such a wonderful man. This is one of my first deaths of a close loved one. After talking with my grandma last night though, she reminded me that we can be sad, but God has called him home. As Christians we can rejoice knowing that our brother in Christ has entered the eternal rest that God Himself has prepared for us. The purpose of this post is to remember an amazing man. i hope it also gest you thinking. What does death mean to you? And when we come face to face with it, whether through others or one day, personally, can we say we've fought the good fight?
Where O death is your victory?
"Every now and then somebody special comes into our lives right when we need them. That person takes on a quiet and loving role and fills a void, providing a gentle guiding hand. And although we get older, move away, we maintain a closeness through the heart. Today that special someone passed away and I will miss him dearly. While my surrogate "dad" will live on in my heart, I can see his love every spring and summer when my triple headed climbing rose brings forth its gorgeous pink blossoms. Always tell those special folks you love them because we never know when they will leave us to go to a better place." -My Momma
"Amos was like the shoreline boulders. He helped absorb the shocks that came to those he knew, but he never seemed to grow tired. A fine soldier in the Lord's army has finished "the good fight." We were blessed to know him. He will not be soon forgotten." -Glenn Davis
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