In My Fathers House

 Good morning friends. My purpose in our visit today is to remember my father. To show gratitude for family and friends. To share my heart. And to honor God and show His faithfulness with this story.

Dad started farming with Uncle Cornie after returning from serving his country in the military. My first home was a second very small house on a farm east of Lacey rented from Anthony and Harry who I think were brother-in-laws. Uncle Cornie and Aunt Marilyn were raising their family in the "big house" that was built in the 1800s as a stage coach stop. After moving 6 times in about 12 years we returned to this farm after Uncle Cornie moved to town. Brother Doug rents this farm today from the same families.

Two things that positively affected our family growing up was having foster children and having a mentally handicapped brother. These additions, because of the examples of our father and mother, taught us to do our best to be helpful, caring, and sharing.

My father taught me to work. He gave me as much responsibility as I could handle and then a little more. I started to stay home from school to help my dad farm as early as 4th grade. After living in Pella for 11 months we moved to this farm near Union Mills where brother Bill was born. The first year we lived here my father had 100 head of cattle on feed. The second year that number grew to 400 head and one Saturday I remember grinding 13 loads of ear corn out of picket cribs. The cattle market was so poor my father had to sell 100 head of hogs from the building below to cover the original cattle note. Needless to say we were poor financially however we never lacked provision. I'll never forget my father telling folks that the Ponderosa farm was a financial loss but a spiritual gain. We were told there would be no Christmas gifts that year. However Uncle John and Aunt Marge from Michigan unexpectedly showed up for a visit with gifts for all of us.

 

 This past Thanksgiving morning Dad and Doug came to the office for muffins, coffee, and conversation. Little did I know it would be the last two way conversation I would have with my father. As Brian mentioned in Dad's funeral message, Dad left life like he left visits, usually swiftly and unexpectedly. I barely got a picture as he decided it was time to go home.

 For months now I would bring Dad breakfast that Jan had fixed him on Sunday mornings. The other mornings of the week he would drive himself to The Family Restaurant. But not on Sunday. Last Sunday after writing our visit, I helped Jan make breakfast. I'm usually in charge of toast. Dad loves raisin toast. When I arrived at my father's house I parked along the street instead of the usual driveway. I'm not sure why. The house was still locked and the curtains had not been opened which was unusual since Dad is such an early riser. I found my father had passed away during the night.

It seemed the brokenness of 2020 was continuing. We have been created to have relationships in celebrating, as well as grieving. We as a family wanted to celebrate our father's life as well as grieve his loss together with friends and loved ones. We decided to have a visitation and a funeral. So we as siblings met with Mike from Bates Funeral Chapel on Sunday evening, and Brian, our son-in-law, on Monday evening. Thanks for the picture Beth.

Covid and the attempts to prevent it's spread are hard on relationships. Because of current guidelines in place we asked Mike if we could have Dad's visitation out on our farm. We spread out the time and the places. We had an extended visitation with us siblings present in the cabin from late afternoon and into the evening.

All Dad's grandkids and greatgrandkids were to hang out in the shop. Guests were welcome both places. Mike and Kurt decided they would bake pizzas in Jan's woodfired pizza oven during the visitation. Jan helped them Wednesday morning prepare ingredients.

Mom was able to come to see Dad and family Wednesday morning prior to friends coming. And we thank her care facility for allowing that.

On Wednesday evening a gal came to visitation I didn't recognize. She said she and her brothers were foster children and lived with us, saw Dad's obituary, and she wanted to come and say thank you for the impact our parents had on her life. Thanks so much for coming Sandy.

Dad and Mom's grandchildren had an active evening as well with many guests stopping by the shop to say hello, express condolences, and eat the dozens of pizzas the guys baked. Grandpa Harry would have been pleased and thankful the way his grandkids celebrated and remembered his life and memories.

There was a school bus in the shop from Osky Christian Grade School. It was being decorated for the Christmas parade last evening. The greatgrandkids spent the evening pretending to be school kids, taking turns being the bus driver, and having fun opening and closing the door.

Donna had asked Brian to use Psalm 73 for Dad's funeral message. The same scripture Brian used for her twin brother Dan's service in 2013. This Psalm parallels 2020. Asaph starts by saying truly God is good. Then he adds a "but", and talks about how life seems upside down and how it seems evil is winning. The Psalmist concludes with a "and yet". And Brian brought out how our Heavenly Father is in charge. And is our comfort in life and in death. That's why we don't need to be scared of our present or our future.

Brother Doug prayed and thanked God for everything our father was, and even what he wasn't. Like the Bible says, God has been faithful to the 3rd and 4th generation of my parent's family. They were not perfect parents. We have not been perfect parents. I highly doubt if our kids are perfect parents. "And yet" God uses us for a purpose.

Mike, Doug, and cousin Daryl, who helps Mike at Bates, drove the coach and limo with Mom to the grave site. The rest of us just walked over.

Dad was buried next to our brother Dan, and Aunt Dorothy, who Mom took care of in her elderly years. Thanks for the picture Mike.

Dad was given a 21 gun salute for his military service. Dave helped fold and gave Mom the flag on Dad's casket and then expressed sympathies to the family.

 

So we will soon be celebrating Christmas when we celebrate Jesus's coming. Why did He come? He came to give us a gift because we are too poor to pay for our own salvation. 55 years ago us kids at the Ponderosa farm didn't necessarily deserve Uncle John and Aunt Marge's gifts. Today we don't deserve God's gift. Yet it is totally free for the accepting. It's called grace. It's why my father could live, and die, knowing what his future was.

Maybe a tougher question. Why did Jesus leave? It's what my friend Del asks in the Engagement Project. Shortly before Jesus's death he told his disciples, "In my Father's house are many mansions. I am going to prepare a place for you". My Father's house is obviously heaven. However Jesus also called the temple his Father's house. The Bible says we are also temples of the Holy Spirit. I'm getting way too deep here. My point is there are preparations being made in Heaven as well as in us on earth.

There is a second reason Jesus left. Just minutes before Jesus went to Heaven He also said, "Go, and make disciples". My father did that in his own imperfect way. We are to do that as well. That's what heaven on earth looks like. Thank you from the bottom of my heart to you who prayed for us. Who reached out with a text or a card. Or those of you who came to visit. We appreciate your thoughtfulness and your friendship.