Providing the Balance

I have been listed as a contributor on this blog for quite a while now, but have not posted anything until now. I am a believer in the old addage "If you don't have anything good to say, don't say anything at all." I am a believer in it, but not very good at practicing it. I just happen to be extra careful when it comes to group blogs. I have to say that I have been thinking about Lyle the last couple weeks. I have been wondering if I would be where I currently am theologically, if I still had Lyle to bounce things off of. Lyle always provided a good balance for me as I tend to jump in with both feet. He was usually there to offer a hand back out of the deep end and always without making me feel like the "greenhand" that I was. I always respected Lyle's experience. He had "been there and done that" with most of the theological wandering I was / am doing. I wonder if I would be as theologically liberal as I am right now if I still had Lyle to bounce things off of. I also wonder if I am as theologically liberal as I feel like I am. Lyle was often my counterweight on these issues. I hope I can someday help disciple someone in as kind and calm a manner as Lyle helped me.

Unfinished life

My grandma mentioned tonight that my dad had been building shutters for someone right before he died, and the other day she came across everything that he had had laid out in the barn. So many more things were left unfinished…

The week after Dad’s passing, he and mom were supposed to have started planning for their retirement through the fire department.

One time while at a craft show with Mom, Dad had seen a tire swing that looked like a horse saddle. He wanted to buy it, so that maybe by the time he was a grandpa, the trees on our land would be big enough to hang a tire swing on.

Like Todd said at the service, Dad’s death came too soon. I think that’s okay to say. I think now we are realizing more and more the things that were left unfinished, everything from shutters to time spent with family and friends…

Memorial

Today we went to the Fallen and Living Firefighters Memorial Service at the firefighters' museum to honor Dad.

The fire department has been amazing since we lost Dad, and they have considered his death one of "in the line of duty." For the memorial service, his name was listed under "supreme sacrifice," along with other Oklahoma firefighters who have died in the line of duty. He is also listed on the wall of fallen firefighters, and we got to do a pencil sketch of the engraving.

The grounds of the museum and the memorial wall are beautiful, and the Oklahoma State Firefighters' Association put on a moving, honoring service. It really is one big family, like they say...