A life lived well

At this point in my life, I've been to many funerals.  There have been some where a young child died before they  had a chance to really live.  Some who have died leaving young families behind.  Some which were unexpected and some which I knew  were coming. Some for which they had no hope of an eternal reward. And, like the one I attended this past weekend, some who I know I will see them again and for whom their funeral was a time to celebrate a life lived well. 

My Uncle Andy was my mom's oldest brother.  He and his wife June and children lived about 45 minutes from our home and so we spent quite a bit of time together.  I don't remember a holiday as a child when, if we weren't with Stoltzfus relatives, we weren't either at their house, they were at ours, or we were all at Aunt Cleone & Uncle Merritt's home.  It was always great fun to be able to go to their farm, the "home" farm where my Mom lived from age 13 until she left home.  Playing in the barn, swinging on the barn swing, climbing into the hay loft, seeing the calves, and later on riding snowmobiles and horses were a real treat for this small town girl.

But what truly set Uncle Andy apart (and because of her wholehearted agreement, my Aunt Junie) was his heart to give.  He was a dairy and crop farmer who used his living as a way to give to others.  We enjoyed sides of beef which regularly were provided. (To this day, steak is one of my favorite foods.  Good thing I eat low-carb!)  Our freezer was always stocked with the corn he grew. We would join Aunt Junie to prepare the corn.  I will never forget the days spent in the steamy kitchen husking the cobs, blanching the corn, removing the kernels from the ears and putting them into pint-size freezer containers. 

When I was getting ready to go to college, I wasn't sure where the finances to attend would come from.  I had been accepted.  I had been given an academic scholarship, a NY Regents scholarship, and a discount because my dad was a pastor.  I had saved and my parents had told me how much they could provide.  I had a good chance of lining up a job once on campus because I qualified for the work/study program.  But that left me short about $1,000 a year.  Then Uncle Andy told me that he and Aunt Junie wanted to sell two steer each year to help with my expenses.  If the steer brought in less than $1,000, he would  make up the difference.  If it was over, the entire amount was for my schooling bills.  It was always over and I was able to graduate debt free. 

But he was not a man who just provided for his relatives.  He provided financial assistance as well as great quantities of food  for Elim Bible Institute, donated to many Christian organizations (especially ones encouraging children and teens), supported many missionaries and opened their home to many missionary kids who were in the states for high school.  As someone said at his funeral, "Only God and June know how much he has given." 

I am sure when he was greeted by the Lord, he heard "Well done, thou good and faithful servant." Attending a funeral like Uncle Andy's was not only a celebration of a life well lived, but a challenge to all who attended to make sure that, not only do we need to know where we are headed, but how to live life along the way. 

Thank you, Uncle Andy, for living your life in such a way that you have positively impacted many around the world and for providing a worthy example for me to follow.