Kuv Yawm (My Grandfather)

My grandfather was a man of few words.  In fact, he probably never spoke to you if it wasn't going to build your life up in some way.  When he got sick, I began reflecting on what he has meant to me.  My heart broke with his passing.

My grandfather never told me "I love you".  Instead, he would always say "we love you (Peb hlub koj)".  Because when he spoke, he spoke for the entire family.  No matter what life decisions we made, good or bad, no matter how we felt about the family or even how we felt about him, he was determined to remind us that we always had family - we were never going to be alone.

My grandfather was a man after God's own heart.  He always loved being outdoors.  He had lived at the house within the church property and his main job was to tend the church.  Every day, he would water the grass, prune the trees and pulled those weeds.  And he had this passion to get rid of the ground hogs.  We always followed him around as he did those things.  He never complained, he did it diligently.  Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter.  Working with his hands, tending the church property was the gift God had given him to serve.  Pastor Fred had announced his passing to my congregation.  He recalled my grandfather as the one who kept the church outside appearance brilliant and alive.  The church had planted a "friendship tree" that symbolized the friendship between our 13 churches, and it was only after my grandfather had left that the tree was no longer tended to, thus wilted and died.

My grandfather was a fisher of men.  He may have not reached out to many, but he lead my mother to becoming a Christian, therefore implanting the seed in me.  The seed that would make me the Christian I am today.  I am a follower of Christ, a believer.  All because my grandfather's rock was his faith.  And now, my faith is my rock.

The church had this beat up van that he would drive around early Sunday morning to collect any members that did not have a ride to church. Service began at 9, and he was always on time.  Punctual, to make sure the members were not late.  And, he would drop each one of them off after church has ended.  My grandfather began Sunday bright and early, and ended it some time well into the afternoon.  He did this for years.

I have been blessed to witness the greatness that is my grandfather.  In 2004, without hesitation, he helped me through one of the trails I would face in life.  Without any notification, I showed up at his door step and said, "Grandpa, come with me to figure this out?"  He gathered his things, and said "let's go."  Driving there, he said very little.  Just the basic, "let me do the talking".  We arrived, and as we sat there being criticized, getting ridiculed, my grandfather never rose his voice, never said anything to offend anyone.  After an hour, he just simply stated my needs and wants.  Another hour goes by, and the same response from my grandfather.  I observed his calmness, his eagerness to listen, the humbleness that makes him HIM.  After all said and done, we were invited to share a dinner with the ones who spent two hours giving us a piece of their minds.  I was done and ready to leave, but my grandfather smiled and joined them at the table.  I sat there and watched as he laughed about simpler days in Laos/Thailand.  Nothing negative ever phased my grandfather.  After dinner, we left and he simply said, "This has passed.  No more dwelling on it, no more talks of it."

I hope I can be able to express his calmness, his grace, his mercy to others.  He voiced his desire to have his family "sib hlub" when he is gone.  I will remember this and I will fulfill his last request.