My grandfather, Brooks, has been the greatest spiritual role model I have ever known. He has and continues to live out the scriptures that he knows (if you don’t know him, that’s a lot). I owe whatever faith, hope and love I have in my heart to this man.
I used to ride my bike three miles over to his house when I was young. This was often. We would sit outside or in his den and talk. He is a great listener. He is a humble man. In fact, he would let me win everything we played. He would keep it close, but I always won. For example, we use to play scrabble. He knew I had dyslexia and my struggles with spelling. So when I played made-up-words like, “Xsqeivty,” Brooks would act like he knew the definition of origin. He taught me peace. He has such a peace about him that even the bees will sit on his arms and legs and never sting him.
What I liked most about Brooks is he prayed for me (Acts 6:4). He taught me that praying for people might not change them, the circumstance or environment, but it changes you (Romans 12:12). He taught me that if I want something to change I have to pray about it. It was no longer a definition of simply “Talking to God.” But it became more, in the sense that I would listen to him as well. Listening with an attitude of openness to truth is what helps me get spiritually disciplined enough to get involved with whatever the “it” may be, that I am praying for, in the right way, with the right reasons, in the right time. Brooks use to tell me that if God were to answer every prayer the way I prayed, then who would be God? You wouldn’t establish a relationship with a new friend and exchange numbers and never call. What relationship is that?
You see, I was not a good kid growing up for those of you reading this who did not have the pleasure of babysitting me. But the word, “Insane” might have been a complement for me. I was more so just in my own category that I’ll call, “Cracka Cray.” However, out of all the people who tried to discipline me verbally by yelling, physically by belt or emotionally by neglect, Brooks was not one of them. Brooks would pray and this would change him immediately. That regardless of the situation whether I was in time-out or jail his attitude of spiritual. His prayers are what make him thankful for me (Ephesians 1:16). He understood when I was out of line and he someone how always found a loving way of helping me to understand as well (Psamls 119:99, Luke 24:45). My grandfather always believed God was at work and He wasn’t done with me yet (Romans 8:25).
Two things that my grandfather has always said to me, “I am proud of you.” And, “I want you to be with me.” We never leave a family gathering without our patriarch saying these two things. So I decided to take a video of Brooks so I could document him saying this. So I told him, “Brooks I’m going on the World Race and am making a video. What do you want me to remember while I’m over there?” But he threw me a curve ball and it may have been the best pitch ever. The simplicity of spirituality summed up beautifully by this old man as tears filled his timeworn eyes as he manages to say, “Choose the right thing to do and never give up.”
So, as I follow God on the World Race, I know my grandfather will be praying that others will hear about the love and power of Christ. But when I say “praying,” I mean he is living out what he is praying about. Please pray for me as I continue to pray about whatever “it” may be (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).
