Lately, the brevity of life has been punctuated for me by three events:
Attending funerals of loved ones.
Being on the waiting end of a doctors reports. And then more testing. And waiting on more reports.
Crying with my friends and loved ones that are enduring hardships.
Didn’t realize when I wrote out the events, that they would be ABC…
Life does not seem to be as easy as ABC, does it? As I ask, I also breath in gratitude. There is so much to be thankful for in my life.
My blessings outweigh my burdens. Hallelujah!!!
I wanted to share about my friend Jackie who went to live with Jesus on Friday.
Last Tuesday evening I received a text from my friend Jackie asking for prayer for his grandfather. Little did I know that this Tuesday night, we would be celebrating Jackie’s life. Jackie was a good friend. He was a good friend to me, and to The Salesman. No matter where we saw their sweet family, like a papa bear, Jackie would give the best papa bear hugs. Then it was like clockwork, his wife Sonja’s hugs came next, and then there were the baby bear hugs from their girls. Sometimes I’d get an extra long hug from the girls, and I can say, that as a hugger, my love tank felt full after a Rutherford family hug!!!
There are few men that can bear hug me, and even fewer that can bear hug The Salesman. You all know that The Salesman is not a hugger, right?! Well, Jackie greeted us both like a true brother. Jackie always made me feel welcome and loved. No matter where we did life together, Jackie was the best at expressing the love of Jesus in a real and tangible way through his greeting.
You will be missed brother. I am thankful for your friendship. I read some of your texts to The Salesman last night and laughed and then cried. I will miss you, my brother. I will miss you, my friend.
If you are interested in reading Jackie’s obituary, here is the link:
http://www.westsidechapelfuneralhome.com/notices/Jackie-Rutherford
Please pray for Jackie’s precious family.