Virgil's Legacy

February turned out to be even more hectic than I had anticipated. My dear father passed away on the 19th after a long struggle following a severe stroke 4 years ago. I am absolutely positive that he is rejoicing in heaven right now with our Lord and it makes me so happy to think about him dancing and singing and celebrating at the banquet. The service was in Texas and Robby and I decided to drive. In total, we traveled over 3500 miles. Needless to say, we made a LOT of stops along the way to make sure the pregnant lady didn't swell up like an anxious puffer fish.

The service was a great way to remember how much life Dad had in him before he became trapped by his failing body. There were many laughs and tears and those wonderful memories from all of the great stories told were beautifully focused for all of us to take forward with us as we await our own blessed graduation day.

Knowing how much Dad loved God's Word was such a comfort to me. Though his body couldn't communicate his thoughts to us in those last few years, I am convinced that he had a very active prayer life and that he and Christ were in constant communication. He had the Word of God stored in his heart and it did not forsake him in his time of need.

When Emma grows up, I'm so happy to be able to tell her that her grandfather was a strong, humorous, and fervent child of God. I'll be able to show her pictures, so she'll know exactly where she got many of the physical characteristics she'll most certainly have picked up from her grandaddy. More importantly, I'll be able to tell her the many jokes and stories that those who knew him share and that cause us all to smile whenever we think of him.