A Visit with Dad

Today I was blessed to receive the notes used for my dad’s funeral almost a year ago.  I knew that the sermon had seemed so perfect for the man who gave me life…the first true love of my life…the daddy that I knew and loved so much.  The notes were brief – fitting on a 5 x 8 sheet of paper.  Amazing that a person’s life could be summed up so well in such a brief way.  But Dad’s best friend, and a pastor that I have loved for a long time, Rev. Oda “Tuck” Roberts, truly hit the nail on the head as he spoke about my dad.  He titled the sermon, “Better Than He Thought” and built on the following outline, making reference to Philippians 1:3-6 and 2:3.

Richard “Dick” Paige was

1.                  A better Christian than he thought:  saved, walked the walk, pure in thought.

2.                  A better family man than he thought:  Devoted to Mary, loved his children, cared for his birth family

3.                  A better friend than he thought:  prayer warrior, promoter, always there when needed

4.                  A better pastor than he thought:  best pastor Tuck knew, best at revival preparation, worked too many hours

5.                  A better preacher than he thought: prepared to preach, good pulpit manners, destroyed his sermons because he thought they had no value

6.                  A better military man than he thought:  served with honor, retired with honors

7.                  A better home than he thought:  Heaven is now his and he knows how far short his thoughts fell about his heavenly home

Bro. Tuck captured my dad’s spirit in his enlightening, sometimes humorous, but very loving sermon.  So many spoke afterwards about what a perfect sermon it was.  He closed by sharing the plan of salvation, knowing that Dad would want to make sure that anyone he knew would also have the opportunity to spend eternity in heaven.  He also shared the following poem, so appropriate for anyone who is grieving the loss of someone they love dearly.  The author is not credited.

To Those I Love

When I am gone, release me, let me go;

I have so many things to see and do.

You mustn’t tie yourself to me with tears,

Be thankful for our beautiful years.

I gave to you my love.  You can only guess

How much you gave to me in happiness.

I thank you for the love you each have shown;

But now it’s time I traveled on alone.

So grieve a while for me, if grieve you must;

Then let your grief be comforted by trust.

It’s only for a time that we must part,

So bless the memories within your heart.

I won’t be so far away, for life goes on.

So if you need me, call and I will come. 

Though you can’t see or touch me, I’ll be near;

And if you listen with your heart you’ll hear

All my love around you, soft and clear.

And when you must come this way alone,

I’ll greet you with a smile and say,

“Welcome home!”

I love how Tuck’s sermon brought back so many good memories of dad.  I remember his laugh, the twinkle in his eye, his mischievous smile, his commander-in-chief glare when I messed up, seeing him praying in his study, watching him adore my mother, loving his calm advice when I was troubled, arguing with him when I should have kept my mouth shut, trusting him with my every care, hiding from him when I was ashamed, listening to him read from the Scriptures or devotional book during family devotions, seeing him enjoy so many friends and loving them so sincerely.  I was blessed with a father who was as close to perfect as a man could be.  I had a chance to ask him a couple of years ago about something.  Our conversation went a little like this.

Me:  “Dad, you taught me long ago that death was not something to fear, but something to celebrate because it meant a person was with Jesus.  Now that heaven is imminently closer, do you still feel that death is something to celebrate?  Are you still sure about it?

Dad (with a very serious, almost sad look on his face):  “It is still something to celebrate, Laurie…but I worry sometimes whether I’ve done enough or not.”

Me: “Dad, I know that you know our heavenly reward isn’t based on what we did, but on what Jesus did.”

Dad:  “I know.  I just don’t want to be ashamed to stand before Him.  I want to have something to give Him.”

If Dad didn’t do “enough”, then the rest of us are doomed.  And Bro. Tuck’s sermon was more than appropriate for the man who really was “Better Than He Thought”.  Thank you, Bro. Tuck, for sending me these notes and letting me spend some time this morning loving dad again, remembering what a good man he was, and knowing that I know that I know where he is, where mom will be with him soon, and where we all will be together again.  Thank You, Lord, for providing a heavenly home and the hope of eternity in Your Presence surrounded by those we love and who love us.