Greetings Dear Reader,
Over the past week, I have watched as three men I love dearly
mourn the passing of their father. At different
stages during my early walk with Christ, all three of these men were friends to
me and went the extra mile. Their
mother, also gone on to be with Christ ministered care to me as a nurse when my
family had left me alone and in pain. I
would honor the passing of Robert
McCann by sharing the stories of his sons and their impact on my life.
The first son I met was Jeff. He was on his way out of our church’s youth ministry when I arrived. He was kind to an angry misfit teen who was so broken and lost that only kindness would keep his attention. He always had time to talk to me and never pushed me about finding my faith. Instead, he invested the love of Christ in me by action, attention, and acceptance. Robert McCann would have been proud of the way his son welcomed and loved a lost boy with few social skills and even less love in his heart.
A short time later I met Mark. I shared more things with Mark and he was
part of the first five years of my walk with Christ. I was not in any way healed of the pain and
anger that I had carried since I was a boy.
Still, Mark was my friend and was brave enough to ask me hard questions when
they were warranted. No matter what state
of pride or arrogance I was in, Mark was that friend who saw past it to a
confused teen who needed friendship and love.
I saw Christ in this later even though I did not appreciate it at the
time. His father would have been proud of
Mark’s moments of patience and friendship where I took more than I gave.
When I left Georgia for college in Florida, I met Bobby. He accepted me as help in the journalism room
where he taught me much about editing and setting a paper by hand. We would work to make the lines straight and
accurate. Amidst my ham-handed skills, he
taught me the value of a good job, well done, for the sake of doing it
right. Again, a son of Robert McCann
showed me love and acceptance when it was needed. I was more secure in my faith but had not
learned yet the value of humility and grace toward others. When I began to wrestle with these things, I
recalled how Bobby has shown them to me when he did not have to. I am sure that his father loved this attribute
of his son.
I only met Robert McCann once. It was in his driveway and it was very
brief. He took a moment to say hi to me
and admire my 1965 Dodge Dart. When he
learned that this was my Grandfather’s car, he said what a good thing it was to
pass along a good car. He never knew
that his simple statement stuck with me for life. I have never sold a car. I always give them away to someone in need
because of his words.
Though I never knew Robert McCann, I learned of him from his
sons. I have not seen any of them in
years but their part in my journey with Christ runs deep and strong in my
heart. I grieve and hope with them as
they walk through the loss of a loving and godly father. I hope that their collective influence for Jesus
is some comfort because they know that it was their father and mother who built
into them the tools to be the men that they are. I owe a debt to this man who has gone on to
be with Christ. I look forward to
knowing him better when we all get home, Dear Reader.
Aramis Thorn
Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become
a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a homeowner. He liberally
hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”
(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
Contacts for Aramis
Thorn:
#aramisthorn
Support Page on Patreon: www.patreon.com/aramisthorn
Novels: From My
Publisher or on Amazon
Web Page: www.aramisthorn.com
Bookings: aramisthorn@aramisthorn.com
Facebook
Twitter
Medium
Instagram
BLOG Archive: http://aramisthorn.blogspot.com/
“We sorrow not as those who have no hope.”
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment