Funeral Letter

Dear friends, family, and members of the community,

It is with great joy and happiness that I tell you that my grandfather made it to heaven. When my pastor asked me to say something about him here at the funeral, I turned him down because I was still grieving over the loss and was afraid break out into tears on the pulpit in front of everyone. I miss him so much. I miss traveling with him, taking him out to eat, doing absolutely nothing, and listening to his advice about women or letting it go in one ear and out the other. J On the day after I began to collect my thoughts. I asked myself “Who am I to keep the information of his incredible life from others?”.

If you think about the way he lived his life, every single detail points to the way Christ commanded us to live our lives. One of the fondest memories I can think of is when he drove the church van for the youth and some of the elderly. This had a major influence in helping me discover the career path that God has chosen for me. It gave me the longing to one day be able to help the population of youth that my grandfather was already helping. My grandfather demonstrated the same kind of love to those youth that Christ gave to us. He did not sacrifice near as much as Christ did for us, but he did go above and beyond for many years making sure that people got to and from church.

Finally, he loved his family more than anything else of this world. Whenever we needed him, he was there to help, support, and pray for us. When I was in high school, he let my mother and I stay with him after we lost our house. Those were some of the most influential months that shaped me as a follower of Christ and as a human being. He taught me how to care for others, be respectful, and work hard for the things I want in life. I’ll never forget the three loving words he said to me everyday: “Get a job!” All in all, his ultimate goal was to make it to Heaven to be with our Savior, his wife, and now his daughter.

To my grandfather: This is not goodbye. I will see you when I get there.

Thanks everyone for all your love, prayers, and support!

Sincerely,

Joey