Today a 2 pm I will gather at the local funeral home to celebrate a life lived well. I don't like to call them "funerals." That sounds too sad and really doesn't reveal the true nature of what is happening. Yes, we will cry because Mr. Wayne will be missed, but there will also be laughter at a life lived, not as a solo, but a chorus for Mr. Wayne's life will always be remembered by its depth not its duration.
I only knew Mr. Wayne for 5 years but all you had to do is look around at the visitation and thumb through the sign-in book to see all the lives Mr. Wayne had touched. People were not only visiting Mrs. Carolyn but they were also laughing and visiting with each other telling the most wonderful stories about Mr.Wayne. You can always tell when someone put a lot of time into living because there are a lot of stories to tell.
I John 3:10 tells us: "Whoever does not do what is right is not of God, especially the one who does not love his brother." Mr. Wayne loved his neighbors and fellow sojourners in this life. He and Mrs. Carolyn were one of the first couples in my little town to reach out to us and offer us true friendship. We had been here a year, both of us city kids, and they reached out to make us feel at home in our small town. There were eight of us that met at the town cafe every Saturday morning and exchanged news, opinions and jokes. We shared the true joy of fellowship every Saturday over breakfast. Mr. Wayne will be sorely missed at our "breakfast club." He never said much but when he talked, we all listened because he was either saying something very wise learned through a life of varied experiences, very important, or he was issuing a well deserved "got-cha". And when Mr. Wayne got-cha you were usually left speechless (you always have to watch out for the quiet ones.).
Mr. Wayne was also a kind man. I remember coming home one night to find a trailer in the ditch, 2 huge bales of hay burning, and Mr. Wayne, our neighbor, DeWayne, and my husband standing there watching the whole thing burn. There was no big ruckus like there would be in a city; just three men watching the hay and part of DeWayne's yard burn. If you didn't know the truth you would think it was just a curiosity. But part of what burned was Mr. Wayne's trailer. That's right. He had loaned his trailer to another farmer to haul hay, somehow the hay caught fire, and that was his burned trailer in the ditch. Evelyn Underhill said, "After all it is those who have a deep and real inner life who are best able to deal with the 'irritating details of outer life'. " Mr. Wayne had a deep and real relationship with Jesus Christ and was able to deal easily with the small, irritating things of life like a burning trailer.
That was just like Mr. Wayne. He was always willing to help. Many times he loaned equipment to folks who couldn't afford to purchase some on their own. He also helped others farm their land when they needed help. On Saturday you could here him talking about how the crops were doing at this one or that one's farm.
Mr. Wayne was also the town mayor. Granted it is only a town of 190 households (480 people) but Mr. Wayne was so respected by the community, that he was chosen as mayor year after year. He was always willing listen even if he didn't agree with you. And he was willing to "work it out" when the three aldermen had trouble agreeing on what should be done. His patience, love, and kindness made governing our little town so much easier.
Mr. Wayne loved his church family too. He was always there every time the doors were open to greet you with a smile and a handshake. He and Mrs. Carolyn were even willing to listen to me every Thursday night as I struggled to teach the book of Genesis. They were much more mature in their faith than I, but they were still open to new thoughts and ideas. You might say Mr. Wayne was forever young because it's our willingness to learn (no matter how poor the teacher) that determines our youth, not the calendar.
Jesus tells us in Matthew 5: 5: "Blessed are the gentle, for they will inherit the earth." There are lots of folks around here that have known Mr. Wayne all their lives that can tell you more about him than I can, but I do know this. When the time comes for Jesus to be handing out chunks of the New Jerusalem, Mr. Wayne will be getting a HUGE chunk of it because he was one of the kindest, gentlest people I have ever met.
I will always be thankful for the privilege of having you in my life Mr. Wayne. Godspeed.
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