My Grandpa, Bob Lloyd, died this morning.
Last Tuesday, he was still driving. Last Tuesday, he woke up, dressed, showered, walked downstairs, made breakfast, and worked on his computer. Last Tuesday, he was an old man, but a reasonably healthy one. Last Wednesday, he suffered a massive stroke, and went into a coma. And this morning, he died. And, in some ways, I’m thankful to God that he died the way he did.
You see, my Grandpa was a doer. He was someone who cared deeply about others, and tried to make a difference in their lives. His attitude was that, as long as God gave him the strength to serve, he was going to. And he did. He only stopped giving study days because he literally collapsed on the plane on the way back from Oregon. He went to the Idyllwild Bible school every single year. And when they forbade him to go there because of his health, he went to Shippensburg instead, until his health stopped him from even doing that. And, at every Bible school he went to, he held an “unbaptized class” where he tried to help unbaptized people decide whether they should be baptized. Every single one.
Even when he didn’t have the strength to travel very much, he still tried to do as much as he could. He still went to meeting, every Sunday, and made an effort to say “hi” to everyone. He still exhorted. Every month, he wrote a minute meditation for The Tidings magazine, and sent a compilation of them to everyone he knew who got baptized. Things got harder, but he kept doing as much as he could, while he could, because, as long as God gave him the strength to serve, he was going to.
But, he was an old man. He was losing his strength. It was becoming harder and harder for him to do things. And that was really hard for him, because he still cared, and still wanted to make a difference, and there were fewer things where he could still be effective.
And so, I think God was being merciful by having him die while he still could do a little. While he hadn’t become completely powerless yet. While he could still be a servant.
Because, although his death will be hard for his wife, and his children, and for me, I think it will be a good thing for him. Because, for him, the next thing he’ll see is the resurrection.
You see, my grandpa sold insurance. And he was a very good insurance salesman. He truly believed in his product, and bought it himself. Now, there’s no insurance you can buy to protect you from death. You can buy life insurance, but that’s not the same thing. But, there is something you can do to protect yourself from death. You can give your life to Jesus Christ. And he’ll keep it safe, no matter what happens.
“For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it” (Mark 8:35)
My grandpa didn’t die the violent death of a martyr. But that doesn’t mean he didn’t give his life for Jesus. He spent his entire life serving him. As long as God gave him the strength to serve, he was going to. And he did.
And although God has taken away his strength to serve now, I know that, in the resurrection, He’ll give it back to him. All the strength he had at his prime, and more. And my grandpa will be able to serve Him again. Forever.
And if there’s anything I want, more than anything else in the world, it’s to be there too. With my Grandpa.
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One