1/9/56
A birthday is something that we celebrate big in our family, if at all possible. Everyone comes to my house and sits around the table eating what the birthday boy or girl has special ordered for me to make. Much laughing, talking and celebrating goes on along with opening presents and eating lots of cake (that our best baker Rachelle usually makes). We tell stories on one another and laugh until our sides hurt. Stories that include things like webbed feet, weird never heard of before diseases and monkey’s private parts (don’t even ask me). It’s always a fun night.
This is the third birthday Rick has celebrated in heaven….if they do those things there. But here we are, wanting to celebrate with him, but not able to. No presents, special meal, birthday stories or cake for his birthday. But, even though he is not here to celebrate this one day, his LIFE is still very much worth celebrating!
Rick loved people and found such pleasure in making people feel special. On our honeymoon, walking down a trail in the Smokey Mountains he thought he saw someone that he knew from Florida…a girl no doubt. Please remember that we had just gotten married two days before and were on our honeymoon. It seems that that fact had slipped his mind for those few minutes. Because he proceeded to chase the girl down, asking her what her name was and if she was from Largo High School. As it turns out Rick was right. She was who he thought she was and was there with her family on vacation. Come to find out (after he introduced us) that she was married and her husband was in the service. (-: That was “so Rick” and I quickly found out that if I was to stay married to this man, I would have to adjust to many more episodes similar to this one. He just couldn’t help himself.
Rick loved so many things that God put on this planet. He loved the mountains more than any other place. If I would agree to do it and if our kids would have moved with us, he would have moved to Colorado in a heartbeat. As I type this, I also am reminded that he most likely would have moved to Ukraine. He loved that country and its people. He also loved Mustangs. But, not just any Mustang. If we pulled up at a light next to a Mustang GT or Cobra he would turn the radio off, roll the window down and draw my attention (for the thousandth time) to the sound of this most special car. We would both sit in awe and listen to the sound of the engine as it took off. Today I still do the same thing when I see one.
He loved the Beach Boys, Jeremiah Johnson, Tahitian Treats, McDonald French Fries and Dairy Queen soft serve chocolate ice-cream. He could pretty much do anything that needed to be done…anywhere…anytime. Really. He could. And if he couldn’t he knew who to call to get it done. He loved mowing his yard and weed-eating. After mowing the yard he would come in and tell me some new concept, idea or sermon series he had come up with while mowing. He was good that way. He loved his MAC and swore he would never go back to a PC. He saved every cent he could get his hands on until he had the money to buy it. (I’m still using it and typing this on it) He loved baseball and football with a passion. He loved playing fantasy football with all his boys. Every year Joshua, Jacob, George and Kevin would come to the house…get in different rooms of the house with their computers on fantasy draft day…and scream and yell at each other from all over the house during their picks. For the women folk it was a day for a good laugh. For the guys, I guess it was their way of bonding.
Rick had a deep and abiding love for Jesus. Everyday for as long as I can remember when his alarm went off, he sat on the edge of his bed and prayed before he got up. He read his Bible daily and soaked it up like a sponge. He prayed without ceasing. He loved the church and it’s people…even when they were unlovely. He was ready to preach in and out of season and always spoke the Word with boldness and confidence in the God he was preaching about.
Rick also loved his family. He grew up in a home that was difficult and with a father who never told him that he loved him. Rick longed to hear him say those words, but never did. He vowed that he was not going to be that kind of daddy. And he made good on his promise. He loved his children with a fierce love. A love that went to bat for them when he needed to and also chastised them when they needed it. He taught them what a daddy’s love is so that they now have a healthy view of their Heavenly Father’s love. That is such a special gift. And…he loved his wife. He loved me on days when I was not very lovable…days when I felt fat…days when I was fat…days when I yelled…days when I gave him the silent treatment…days when we laughed together…cried together…solved problems together and made a life together. He just very simply…loved me.
So today I will celebrate this very special life. A life that planted so many seeds for the Kingdom of God that they won’t all come to fruition until that Great Day. A life that prayed things into our future. A life that has made such an impact on this physical earth in so many places that I know he is dancing for joy at the rewards he is experiencing. All because he loved Jesus. And because he loved Jesus…he did all things well.
Sending much love on Rick’s birthday,
Debbie
