Monday, October 26, 2009
A Tribute to a Patriarch
Dale Kepler was known in many regards, but the title I think he was most proud of was Papa…and we were proud to call him that. What a glorious calling for him, to commend to us God’s love and to capture our hearts at the earliest of ages with personalized silly songs and the telling of stories in his lap. In fact I would often curl up in his lap even as an adult…it was a safe and peaceful place.
Growing up next door to Papa was a privilege, we got to know him better than most children know their grandfathers. He was able to teach us to drive, sing, golf, tell jokes and he influenced us with his hard work ethic, devotion to Granny and an unfailing faith to our great God. He exemplified God’s love and grace tangibly that we might trust Christ in all things.
For his grandsons he set an example of how to serve and lead a household…for his granddaughters he set the bar for the kind of men we would marry….impossible expectations. He joyfully served God and challenged us to do the same with our lives. Through our mistakes and mischievous ways, we proved that His love for us was unconditional. He was a constant and consistent presence in our lives and losing him to eternity is felt deeply by us as we look to future milestones and grieve his absence.
However, Papa did not leave us lacking…including the many memories, he also left us an inheritance to be cherished and nurtured. His inheritance to us is beyond material and temporal….it is a legacy of faith, love, truth, strength, patience, humility, joy and hope. I believe that the way to honor this great man, our papa, is by carrying on his legacy…that we might continue on in life with faith through grace, being sustained by God’s strength. That we might have his patience through trials and his posture of humility amidst accomplishments….and let’s not forget to hold fast to our great hope in the promise of heaven, where there is victory over sin and death. We will forever tell his stories and pass on his love through the generations.
Growing up next door to Papa was a privilege, we got to know him better than most children know their grandfathers. He was able to teach us to drive, sing, golf, tell jokes and he influenced us with his hard work ethic, devotion to Granny and an unfailing faith to our great God. He exemplified God’s love and grace tangibly that we might trust Christ in all things.
For his grandsons he set an example of how to serve and lead a household…for his granddaughters he set the bar for the kind of men we would marry….impossible expectations. He joyfully served God and challenged us to do the same with our lives. Through our mistakes and mischievous ways, we proved that His love for us was unconditional. He was a constant and consistent presence in our lives and losing him to eternity is felt deeply by us as we look to future milestones and grieve his absence.
However, Papa did not leave us lacking…including the many memories, he also left us an inheritance to be cherished and nurtured. His inheritance to us is beyond material and temporal….it is a legacy of faith, love, truth, strength, patience, humility, joy and hope. I believe that the way to honor this great man, our papa, is by carrying on his legacy…that we might continue on in life with faith through grace, being sustained by God’s strength. That we might have his patience through trials and his posture of humility amidst accomplishments….and let’s not forget to hold fast to our great hope in the promise of heaven, where there is victory over sin and death. We will forever tell his stories and pass on his love through the generations.
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