The REAL deal

[rascal]

I went to a funeral monday night .

This man, Thurman, bless his heart was once a very successfull business man. He and his wife felt called at one point to go into the ministry.

I am not sure when, but the fellow was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa (sp?) ....but that didn`t slow them down or halt their dreams of ministering people....they simply continued as a team...finishing school and becoming pastors for the methodist church.....

Now rather than lament his disabeling blindness....this fellow cracked some of the funniest jokes I ever heard....one I remember.....was related after arriving at our church after a particularly harrowing trip.....his poor wife who had to drive like a bat out of hades to arrive on time to the three services that she was required to preform on sunday mornings....

...during one of her harrowing drives.....She lost control of her vehicle..... wildly fish tailing...steering madly back and forth attempting to avoid the deep ditches on either side of this small country lane......after a heart pounding few seconds......she finally regained control of her vehicle....when Thurman asked in a perturbed tone....*well Do you need ME to drive*???? Lol figuring he certainly couldn`t do any WORSE!

Well as if blindness wasn`t enough....he began loosing his hearing due to some malady......now mind you...ANYBODY who was already blind ...facing the prospect of complete deafness...(can you imaginr the sensory deprivation??) would have been discouraged.....not him...he and his wife began learning sign language to spell out against his palm....to communicate...even then....and even then....he never lost his humor....

I met this man 14 years ago...sometime around then......he was diagnosed with Lukemia....given 4 months to live....well....he outlasted their predictions by 13 years and 9 months...and it wasn`t even the lukemia that he finally succumbed to.....

Sometime during the last few years this sweet man who was always funny....who dearly loved people ...never missed a chance to brighten your day with a funny story or an apt sharing from the scriptures....was diagnosed with diabetes as well.....I remember thinking...*Gosh I have never seen a human being so afflicted* and of course in my way brained thinking assumed that it was something that he was doing wrong....

So here is this guy...managing to crack jokes every time we met him....always had an uplifteing message of a loving tender God *who`s grace was sufficient* for him.

The man ministered to every one he met...I NEVER heard a cross word, a complaint, or whining, or utterance of condemnation....even with us....no matter how pig headed and arrogant mark and I were during our post way years....he never was offended at our hard heartedness...or our arrogance in what we believed was our superior knowledge of the scriptures... he loved us in spite of our bewildering beliefs and condescending attitudes....

In spite of our oh so knowledgeble rightious selves......He gently and lovingly taught, lifted us up with brilliant humor....ministered to us with kindness...the peace and joy that the man emmanated in spite of the most daunting of circumstances...was a marvel...most of the time it never registered with me that he was ill...suffering on many fronts....the only clue you`d get was that he would dissapear for a few weeks at a time....and you would wonder if finally he had succumbed....but low n behold he would return to us...as up beat as ever with new funny stories to tell.

I sat there in that church...not grieving but laughing all the way through the service as rememberances of this man were shared.....

Someone shared how he was ashamed of his beat up old cane.....and though he couldn`t see it...he could feel the chipped paint .....so one day...he and his wife went to buy a new one at the local drug store...which was right next to the dr.s office.....well after recieving his new cane....you know the white kind with the red tip that shows people you are blind......he handed his old one to his wife.....n when she asked well what do you want to do with THIS?????

HE whispered......... *Ham it up Baby* !!!! So she started pretending to be blind too!....they both clacked their canes back and forth out of the store....out the door.....down the side walk ....they felt their way around the car.....she helped him into the car....clacked her way around to the drivers side....and got in....much to the mounting horror of all of the people whose faces were plastered against the drug store window and dr.s office waiting room....she started the car and drove away.....lmao.... she later recieved a phone call from the dr.s office to PLEASE never do that again as it freaked out so many of their waiting patients....lol

So any way.... as we laughed ...each remembering private incidences when he shared a word fitly spoken ministering to us...presenting a loving gentle God *who`s grace was sufficient* I couldn`t help but having flash backs to my twi days....

The interactions with my leaders in the ministry........the unkindness with which they treated us at times....the intense pressure applied to preform....the arrogance that many of them exhuded....we recieved the message again and again that we were not worthey for God to even spit in our direction....unless we were preforming in the prescribed manner....were in the right program or had new people in class...

It struck me with blinding impact.... I turned and whispered softly to my husband... that Thurman had been .....the REAL deal.... a man who manifested on a daily basis through the most difficult of circumstances.....the pure heart of love, tolerance and patience that God has for each and every one of us. Ever willing to love us wherever we are at ..... extending a never failing light that will lead us out of any darkness back to his love and light.

It dawned on me that THIS was the real deal....and that so many of us (me included) tend to just be wanna bees...

I was struck with gratitude to have had the privelege of getting a glimpse of God`s abounding love, his care that he has for each of us ..... through the humble life of this unassuming man.

So I made my way to the casket at the front of the church to give condolences to the widow ....though she only saw the kids and I sporadically over the years.....she joyously hugged my neck and murmered in my ear ....* don`t you worry Cathy ... because that is just the husk laying there in that box....the NUT that was inside has gone home*

Thank you God for Linda and Thurman who was able to indeed impart that *his grace IS sufficient* for me

Edited November 18, 2005 by rascal

[excathedra]

what a nice story

i went to a wake last night for a wonderful christian man, my friend and neighbor

and their retired pastor and his wife came from virginia to be there for his wife and family

this methodist pastor had performed my mom's and her husband's wedding because the catholic church would not. they never went to his church before or after their wedding. he asked me how they were doing

and the pastor and his wife asked me all about our son who went to their day care and pre-k. we never went to their church either. but i would call with prayer requests which they were always so gracious to include in their services

Edited November 18, 2005 by excathedra

[Galen]

cool

[dmiller]

It struck me with blinding impact.... I turned and whispered softly to my husband... that Thurman had been .....the REAL deal...

How are we supposed to take this!!?? :)

Edited November 19, 2005 by dmiller

[dmiller]

Someone shared how he was ashamed of his beat up old cane.....and though he couldn`t see it...he could feel the chipped paint .....so one day...he and his wife went to buy a new one at the local drug store...which was right next to the dr.s office.....well after recieving his new cane....you know the white kind with the red tip that shows people you are blind......he handed his old one to his wife.....n when she asked well what do you want to do with THIS?????

HE whispered......... *Ham it up Baby* !!!! So she started pretending to be blind too!....they both clacked their canes back and forth out of the store....out the door.....down the side walk ....they felt their way around the car.....she helped him into the car....clacked her way around to the drivers side....and got in....much to the mounting horror of all of the people whose faces were plastered against the drug store window and dr.s office waiting room....she started the car and drove away.....lmao.... she later recieved a phone call from the dr.s office to PLEASE never do that again as it freaked out so many of their waiting patients....lol

Too cool!!! :biglaugh:

[Psalm 71 one]

awww, Cathy-- what a man! I wish I'd known him too!

Not knowing him, I still have tears in my eyes!

and David-- that was the funniest story, too!!!

[dmiller]

It struck me with blinding impact.... I turned and whispered softly to my husband... that Thurman had been .....the REAL deal.... a man who manifested on a daily basis through the most difficult of circumstances.....the pure heart of love, tolerance and patience that God has for each and every one of us. Ever willing to love us wherever we are at ..... extending a never failing light that will lead us out of any darkness back to his love and light.

It dawned on me that THIS was the real deal....and that so many of us (me included)

tend to just be wanna bees...

Rascal -- although I was just kidding about your *blinding impact* statement, the rest of the quote struck me pretty forcibly, as did your post about Thurman (even with his disabilities), giving unconditional love and tolerance to all that crossed his path.

Plus what you said about twi expecting *perfection* from one and all.

I've worked with the disabled for 4 years now, and each day is a new revelation on

How Big -----

How Complete ----- (and)

How All-Encompassing their love is ---

for anyone they meet,

for anyone that has problems,

for anyone that has a reason to be happy ---

They don't expect perfection, but they see it everywhere

They see other's problems, and forget their own

Every day is a party, regardless of what is happening.

I'm thinking Thurman must've been like that, and to be honest -------

I'm jealous!

Count me in on being one of the *wanna-bees* too.

When I first started working with *my guys* (I hate to admit it, but it's true), I tried to elevate them to my level. Now, the best I can hope for in this life, is for me to elevate myself to their level of

Love

Kindness

Acceptance

Forgiveness

Etc.

Etc.

Etc.

(ps --- we need more Thurman's in the world)

David

[rascal]

Awww Thanks you guys :)

Excathedra, it is so neat to meet these beacons of kindness like you are talking about....they don`t want or require anything of us....they seem to just want to genuinely help wherever they can....it kills me that we were taught to so distain them so...to not see their value....

Thanks Psalmie...they truly played a major role in my recovery from harshness....

Dave that was pretty funny, I didn`t catch that when I wrote it...lol

I DO understand what you are talking about....when I started attending this little country church years ago, it was with the arrogant attitude that *I* was blessing THEM with my oh so superior spiritual self....

I was so condescending, so stiff, so dissaproving, maaaan, I look back now and think how much these people loved us...the longsuffering and patience exhibited time and time again as we stumbled towards recovery.

It took a long time to recognise that just maybe....we were the ones being ministered to....lol

I may have doctrinal issues, ie I don`t know what specifically I hold as truth any more.......but one thing I DO feel strongly is that God blessed us with incredible people in our lives to help us on our journey towards spiritual and mental wholeness after leaving twi.