There are some people in your life that just make you feel special. We lost a great man like that early this morning. Tim is one of those men. Everyone that knows him understands. I have known Tim all my life. He is one of those guys that just make you smile. He would walk toward you at church with a big grin on his face or trying to hide his grin because he is trying to be serious when he tells you something ornery. As a kid I can remember him dancing around being silly for his girls and I while watching TV. I one time spent the night and then went to work with him and his girls. Well he worked and we played. Every time I pass that house I think of him. I remember playing in the cutest little play house that he had for his girls. Swimming in the trough that he put tar all over the bottom of so it wouldn't leak and his girls could play. The girls taught me how to ride a bike over the big grease spot in his driveway that his truck had made.
Here more recent he was working on another house close to my parents house and I had to smile because he is one the hardest working people I know. In fact every time I would see his red truck it made me smile. Dan and I would stop while he was working there and say hi. He would greet us with his big smile and make us feel as though we were exactly who he wanted to see at that moment. Other times I would stop on my own and check on him and say hi. We all worried because he was due for new kidney and functioning on way less then the rest of us.
Tim had this amazing ability to remember every ones birthdays. One year I can hear it like yesterday he called and says "Is this the Launi Stokes?" I said answered yes and then he went on to tell me that he remember it was my birthday. It made my day that he would take time out to call and that he remembered.
His family has and will always hold a special place in my heart. I love his girls and wife so much as well. They were there when Tatum was born and Anita was there when Titus was born as well. She was in the operating room when Tatum was born and helped to take pictures. She took me to the hospital when at church camp I fell and cracked my nose. I love them like my own family. My heart hurts for all that know him and the loss everyone is feeling.
I can picture Tim at the ski lodge shoveling tons of snow because he was going to dig us out of there. I see him pacing the floor because he knew he needed to get back to work. I can hear him calling me Leslie and asking where Launi is. I can hear him reassuring me as I freaked out about my new front porch that it was not supposed to have a lip hanging over. The guy did not mess it up that's the new style, the lip is old and out. It will look fine as soon as you get grass and things how you want it. He assured me he would have done it the exact same way and once I knew that's how Tim would have done it I've loved it ever since. I was standing on my porch talking to him about it on the phone while he assured me it's right.
So many times I would pass him in his red truck and I would wave for all I could because this time he's going to see me! I think in all those years of waving he only saw me once. We would laugh because he never would see any of us! Every time I would say to Dan I just love that man. He's such a great guy. He would smile and say yes he is a very good man. Then we would talk about how he would make us laugh and was always smiling. I am thankful that Tim and Anita for their anniversary weekend spent Sunday morning at our church and I was able to hug them.
I was amazed because at a talent night at church he memorized all of the sermon on the mount and recited it. Above everything he loved God and truly walked with the Lord. He will be greatly missed but has left an unbelievable legacy. I know with out a doubt we will see Tim in heaven someday. Heaven just got even sweater. Please remember this precious family in your prayers.
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