Grandpa: "Following Jesus is a Manly Sport"

I had a great time hanging with my grandpa this week.  He's a great man.  Check this out about my grandpa, who we call the "Silver Fox":

• He was in the Battle of the Bulge, the bloodiest battle for the Allies in WWII. 19,000 Americans soldiers died- almost all of those in the first 3 days of fighting.
• After the army, he fell off the roof of a house, broke his neck, and drove himself to the hospital.
• After the army, he went to Lee University and lived in the same dormitory I would eventually live in when I was a freshman.
• He never lets us leave his house without prayer.
• He is kind, wise, and listens to people.  That made him a great pastor.
• Up until he was 85, he kept a vegetable garden that was over an acre big.
• After my grandmother died, I went on a double date with him while I was in college.
• He remarried a really beautiful sweet lady...proving that he still had it after all those years!  They make a really great couple.

This is the coolest guy in the world.  When I was leaving his house, yesterday, he looked at me with a little gleem in his eye, took me by the arm, and said, "I'm going to tell you the same thing Jesus told Peter.  'Feed my sheep.  Feed my lambs.  Don't sheer them.  Don't fleece them.  Don't try to separate them from the goats.  Just feed them." He still has a fire in his belly for the mission of Jesus.  I love that he continues to show me that following Jesus is a manly sport.

Comments

[Dave E]

Now THAT is nice! Really nice!
I envy you your heritage and as a first generation born again father I'm trying really hard to build up those in my family that follow on. That post is a great encouragement, exhortation and example.
Oops - 'scuse the alliteration there Bud!

[Jeremy]

Travis, what a great thing to be told by your grandfather. Talk about making the words of Christ come alive and in color. I enjoy your blog. Keep it up.

[fuser]

Thats awesome.