Wednesday, February 08, 2006

makes you think.....

The bride and I attended a funeral for a friend yesterday. We weren't all that close, but we got to know each other a little better in Sunday school over the past 6 months or so when we found out that we had a mutual friend. We usually sat together in class.

Steve was just 52. Two months ago, life was good. About six weeks ago his doctor told him that he had kidney cancer. Sunday morning, around 2:40 a.m., he was gone. The members of our Sunday school class were honorary pall bearers.

He left behind two sons - one 24 and married, the other a senior at Centennial and just 18. The youngest is having a hard time. There were so many kids from school at the funeral, and even more at the visitation the night before. The coming weeks and months will be tough for him.

I learned alot about Steve yesterday. I found out how many people loved and respected him. One of his neighbors spoke and said that he asked himself if Steve was a successful man. He said that according to John Maxwell's difinition of sucess, Steve was very successful. Maxwell said that success is when those you're closest to in life love and respect you. In other words, they know the real you and love you anyway.

Maybe this sounds trite, but I looked at the bride and the girls a little differently last night.....

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