Blessed Sunday.

Today I thought I would write a bit about my Uncle Rodney. The picture is of Ken and Uncle Rodney at the family reunion this past July.

I have two special memories of my Uncle Rodney. First, he was a man of extraordinary faith and a man of extreme joy.

I grew up in a family where family dinners were held at my Mamo’s house on Sunday. Each time we gathered Uncle Rodney was asked to deliver the blessing. It always impressed me that he was always given this honor. But when I knew he really was a man of faith was one Friday night in Van Alstyne, Texas.

Howe was playing Van Alstyne. They were arch rivals. If Howe defeated Van Alstyne then the season was victorious. My brother, Ken, played for Howe and a young man by the name of Eric McKinney played for Van Alstyne. Eric was sort of a Tony Dorsett/Emmitt Smith in high school and I think he may have even played both ways and I think Ken did too. I came in from college to see Ken play on Friday night. Uncle Rodney was there and we were playing in Van Alstyne. It was cold and by half-time Van Alstyne was wiping the field with the Howe Bulldogs. I think the score was like 21 to 0 in favor of Van Alstyne. I sat in front of Uncle Rodney in the stands and he said, “This game isn’t over. We will beat Van Alstyne.” I do not know if he prayed in the stands or if the coach lit a fire under the Bulldogs, but when the final buzzer sounded Howe had defeated the next town rival soundly. I am sure I remember just a tiny smile and a victorious laugh of joy at the end of the game cross my Uncle Rodney’s face.

About joy…I never saw my Uncle Rodney without a twinkle in his eye (just a bit of mischief), a smile on his face and a hug for whoever was in his path. He may have been in pain, but you would never hear it from his lips. He might tell you what was happening next, but never with complaint. My other favorite memory is the garage sales my family put on. Each year for a long time my family held a family garage sale. Those involved were two sisters, two brothers and one Mamo. It was large, a lot of work and a great deal of fun. There were folks in Sherman who waited for this giant sale each year. This is where Uncle Rodney would shine and we would just sit back in our lawn chairs and watch him wheel and deal with every person who came to the sale. I am convinced he could have sold snow to Eskimos and been quite successful. He loved the yearly garage sale.

How completely profound it is that at the moment of his death my Mom and Aunt Linda were hosting a smaller version of the yearly garage sale at my Aunt Linda’s house. He was not there to wheel and deal and push the merchandise, but I will just bet that he stopped by and whispered in someone’s ear that they really needed to buy that item and once again gave his blessing to a wonderful family event.

But what Uncle Rodney really knew was that now there would be no more wheeling and dealing. There would be no need, for God, in His amazing grace, had done all of the dealing that needed to be done that day on the cross. The joy Uncle Rodney has expressed all of his life is now made full as he has left his earthly family and joined a heavenly family. It is my prayer that those who have gone on before us were there to greet him.
We are all saddened because his smiling face and heart of joy is no longer present with us, but his memory and our memories of him will always remain forever in our hearts until we are joined with him and become citizens of heaven ourselves.

Aunt Peggy, Joyce, LaRhonda, Linda Kay, Mom, Linda, Betty and Gene, I wish I did not know how you are feeling right now, but I know exactly how you feel. You are grieving, for the hole in your lives that was just created by this loss is huge, but you are not sad for him, because even though Uncle Rodney was never restored to health and wellness, he was and is, most assuredly healed and his faith and joy are made full and complete forever.

I love you all and you are all in my prayers. Love, Gaylene

Gcapplenotes@aol.com

I am not moved by what I see. I am not moved by what I feel. I am moved only by what I believe and I believe God.