Uncle Roy

I cannot go through a Christmas season without thinking of Uncle Roy.  Though only brothers-in-law, he and my Dad were best buddies. Roy was part preacher and part gypsy.  He loved to buy, sell and trade and his favorite item was the thing he just bought.

He gave the appearance of tending to love "trading" churches too, since Roy didn't tend to stay very long at most places he pastored.  However, that was the "appearance" - in fact, he was quite a hand at step into troubled situations and turning them around. When the operations were running smoothly again - Roy would move on. 

He and Dad were always the hub of the commotion that was our family holiday gatherings.  They loved to discuss and debate and "carry on" as we would say; those two had a tremendous effect on the volume and hilarity of any celebration.

Roy had grown up in a rough environment and when he came to Christ, the change was overwhelming!  He used to joke that he knew so little about the Bible that some of his early sermons came from the book of "PALMS" (instead of Psalms).

At some point Roy completed the Dale Carnegie Course and that, too had a huge effect on his future.

Roy was also an accomplished speaker, addressing banquets and other dinner gatherings.  So he always had a ready supply of amusing stories and didn't mind repeating them.  Many of those stories still come up every Christmas when my family gets together.

Speaking of Christmas, my memories of Roy have a special attachment to this season.  Our families regularly spent a few days together at my grandparents' home during Christmas.

Roy was always a little mischievous and would sometimes sneak outside late on Christmas eve to pretend to be Santa Claus.  Dad would work the inside expressing alarm that the noises we heard could very well be Santa, Roy on the outside would be going "bump in the night".

I probably owe two of my prominent character traits to Uncle Roy:  I always thought it was cool that he drank coffee all the time.  Today, I am probably most comfortable when I have a cup of the dark brew in my hand.
Roy also got excited about old television shows and old movies... he loved a "cowboy-shoot-'em-up-picture".  He introduced me to Jimmy Stewart, John Wayne and "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance".  I owe much of my devotion to the wonderful world of black and white - to Uncle Roy.

Roy passed away a few years ago and Christmas - and the world for that matter - just hasn't been the same.

But he still shows up in our family gatherings- through the influence of the life he lived and the memories he made.

I don't really think that heaven is much like things around here . .  . but if it were, I suspect that about now he and Dad are leaning back in some cushy LAZY-Boy. It is likely they are discussing politics - national, state and church, or football or people in general.  If they get too loud, the other saints have but to wait around awhile; sometime after dinner, they will find the both with feet up, eyes closed and mouths open - enjoying a nap.