Marching in the Parade of Life

Ah, the 4th of July....it brings forth many images to my mind - the Star Spangled Banner (the US Flag), fireworks, smoke rising from a grill, and home made ice cream dripping from children's chins. But these are things that one finds in the US. What can one expect from a 4th of July in the middle of the forest in Gabon??? Much the same, thanks to Joanna, one of the missionaries here, organizing a 4th of July celebration for all of us American missionaries. We grilled out - hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken (does anything smell better than barbequed chicken - I think not!) And everything was to be red, white, and blue - clothes, food, and whatever else you can think of. My (Eric's) shoes here are quite patriotic - but Wendy's - I guess you can call that red, and very silly at that!!


And what is the 4th of July without a parade? It was complete with a flag bearer (Eric), music (Wendy on the flute playing Yankee Doodle Dandy), floats, people throwing candy, and spectators (although the people in the parade probably outnumbered the spectators!). It was much more fun than those parade I used to have to march in during high school band! If you'd like to see the parade, it's on You-Tube! The link is
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CazIOPAXYas
.
Being in this parade made me think of another parade I had been in - a long, long time ago. Back when I was just a pup. When I was maybe 3 or 4, I had the honor of riding on my grandpa's tractor in the Imperial, Nebraska parade! It was quite a thrill! Here they are - my grandparents - aren't they cute?! This picture was taken last year - at that point they had been married for more than 67 years!
.

Well, sadly for us, my grandpa died a few weeks ago. It's hard for me to fathom that he's gone - it may not truly sink in until the next time I'm in the western Nebraska, and he's not there. He was quite a guy. He had only an 8th grade education, and yet he was far from stupid. He built his own house, converted a pickup truck into a camper, could fix just about anything mechanical, and made the best pancakes this side of heaven. And he brought up his children to know and love Jesus. And not only children, but grandchildren, and great-grandchildren - that's quite a legacy!

.
I am proud to have had such a wonderful grandpa, and I can't wait to get to heaven so that I can hear all of the stories of the lives that he touched during his time here on Earth.