He stood up on the pulpit, slightly frail, but with strength and determination. He’d just been announced along with many of his family who had gathered in a quaint church to hear him speak. The small town pastor spoke of him as a man of faith he and many admired. Being a pastor for many years, even well past his retirement, a strong tower to his family, church and community, he was a light on the hill for everyone to see. Many of those there knew of this man of God and if they were unaware, they would soon find out what life’s journey had taught him and how God had transformed his life so many years ago. As he started to greet everyone and make a few jokes, in typical fashion, he moved along to what he had come to speak about, his testimony. Within the next few words his head bowed atop the pulpit and the words, “Help me, help me” softly emptied from his lips. He went limp and down to the ground. Anyone who was able to help rushed forward to check him, do CPR and pray. As he was rushed to the local hospital all his family could do was trust God’s will to be done.
We later found out that my grandfather had had a massive heart attack and had went home to be with Jesus. As I later reflected on the events, in my mind, the millisecond after those words were uttered, he was already home, no pain, no suffering, just total peace.
This was a day that forever rocked my world. To see and experience all that happened in front of my eyes affected so many emotions inside of me, but I knew without a shadow of doubt that God had planned this all along.
To know my grandpa is to love him and him to love you. He never met a stranger and became a surrogate grandpa to many people he came across in his 93 years of life.
Claude Demont Grinslade was born on November 16th, 1922 and grew up in the small town of Wewahitchka located in the FL panhandle. He loved the river, lakes and the sweet Tupelo honey that his town was famous for. After working in his early teens with the Civilian Conservation Corps in California, he signed up for the Navy in 1941 at 18 years old. He was placed on the USS Wasp during WWII. While aboard ship, he came to know Jesus as his Lord and Savior and the Holy Spirit as the comforter. His passion for Jesus only grew as he helped lead Bible studies with his shipmates and lead others to Christ. The ship was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine on September 15th, 1942. Sadly, 193 men perished and only by the grace of God my grandfather, who happened to be below deck at the time, was able to miraculously get above deck and then swim to the safety of another ship. We still have the NT bible that was in his front pocket as he swam in the waters of the Pacific. A couple months later he was married to his other-half. In the years that followed he went to Bible school at Southeastern University in Lakeland, had 10 children (8 survived), served as a pastor for many years, and worked numerous jobs to take care of his family. As time passed his family continued to grow with many grand, great-grand and great-great-grandchildren that followed and celebrated 73 years of marriage this last November to my beautiful grandmother.
This is what you call a life of legacy.
During the preparation Claude’s funeral, God stepped in many incredible ways to remind us that He’s been in control since before the world was formed and we were not to worry or be anxious. He knew my grandpa’s first and last day on this earth and ordained it all according to His purpose. Our God in all his incredible wisdom choose to take my grandfather home on the 75th anniversary of his enlistment in the Navy, which if you think about it, marks the true beginning of grandpa’s “life”, his love and servanthood in following Jesus with every ounce of his strength. How amazing is our Father?!
In all the years of his life, my grandpa was never rich, but he had an abundant life in Jesus. He never led a church filled with hundreds of people, but he impacted numerous people from every walk of life over the 75 years he was saved. He was never on television giving his testimony to thousands, but his walk was his testimony wherever he went. His family and people he touched have become his legacy.
Claude lived out this verse: “And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?” (Mark 8:36) He knew the greatest thing and the only thing we can leave behind in this world is a legacy of Jesus and that’s what I want to leave here.
