Grandad

November 29, 2012. A day that started like any other, but became significant when it marked the end of a generation and the start of a new season. My dad called to tell me my grandad, Alfred Lee Roy Keller, was alive with Christ.What a joyous day in the life a believer! My last grandparent was gone. (Paul's grandparents were gone before we met.)

My grandparents were very special to me. Many of my favorite memories include by dad's mom, Grandma Bert and my mom's mom, Grandma Grace. But those memories can be written another time. Today I wanted to record what I shared at my grandad's memorial service, 12/16/2012. My grandfather wrote his own services, requesting his favorite hymns and Bible passages. He also requested that his five grandchildren share their thoughts. It was an honor.

"Hi, I'm Amy Micu, daughter of David and Ronda Senn. Thank you for joining us today, during this busy season, to celebrate the life of my grandfather. He was a very special man.

There are so many things I could share with you about my grandad. Good memories, great stories. My grandpa was a spiritual giant in my life. Throughout the Bible and church history, God has used great men to point us to Himself. Great men of faith. No, my grandfather won't be recorded with Abraham, Daniel, Paul, Luther, or even Wesley - but he was a great man whom God used mightily in my life. And like these men of old, Grandpa was great because he loved and served a great God. He pointed me to a big God. A God worthy of all my love and devotion. His marriage was a picture of Christ's love for His Bride. His fatherly love and compassion was evident toward his daughters. And like the Good Shepherd with His sheep, His "Grandfather letters" would exhort us grandchildren not to stray.

My Grandpa believed in the promises of God's Word. His favorite verse was Philippians 4:19, "And my God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus." My grandad understood that his greatest need was for a Savior. He saw a high and holy God, he knew his own sinfulness and depravity in light of this God and, by the Spirit, he turned to the promises of the Bible - that all of his needs (not some of them, but all!) would be met in the glories of Christ. For 98 years, his needs were fully, abundantly, richly met in Christ. My grandfather spent his life preaching the glories of Christ and living His promises.

In 2007, our families had a unique opportunity to gather in a reunion celebrating Grandpa. At that time I wrote a poem for this spiritual giant in my life that I'd like to finish with today.

The Oak

The Oak
Standing straight, tall
Branches reaching toward the heavens.
There is has stood
Over years, spanning decades.
Weathering heat, cold, wind,
Silently watching the changing seasons,
One year upon another.
Yes, the Oak stood.
Roots deepened and strengthened
By the seasons life gave.
The Oak
Unyielding, unwavering, unbending.
And as he matured,
His coat rough and nicked\
By trials of this world,
Branches pruned by God's own hand,
The Oak became graceful,
Majestic.
I enjoyed the Oak's unchanging ways.
I gleaned the wisdom from his age.
The deep roots kept me grounded
While his branches pointed me
Heavenward.
I rested in his safety,
Under the canopy of his shade.
Protection.
The Oak has been in my family
Nearly a century.
Standing faithful.
Often alone.
Proclaiming God's glory to the next generation (Psalm 78).
Fulfilling God's will.
And as the Oak faces his final season -
He will never truly be gone.
For, by grace, seeds have falled on good soil.
Young saplings, in turn, mature.
Standing strong, changing seasons, growing in Truth.
Someday, at last, the Oak will humbly bow in adoration,
As he bends before
His Maker.

I wish every child could have a grandfather like mine. A great spiritual giant who pointed me to One even greater."