Monday, February 6, 2017
My Uncle John died on Friday. Much more than just an uncle, he was to Vince, Kath, and me our second father. His influence on our lives can’t be measured. In the last letter that I wrote to him a few days before he died I told him that I thought God would use the suffering of his blindness to bring the Light of God’s Love to others’ hearts. I do believe this is true and now that Uncle John can see again he must be rejoicing to see what a bright light of faith, hope, and love he has left for us to follow. Even though he was blind and unable to walk for almost two years Uncle John continued to be cheerful and optimistic as he had been his whole life. I never saw anyone he met who didn’t leave his presence feeling happier whether the person was a waitress, a store clerk, or even a police officer who pulled him over for speeding! Uncle John always saw the beauty and goodness in every other person. This was a type of seeing that no circumstances, even physical blindness, could take away from him. My father had an expression he’d always say when we arrived back home. It was, “Back to the Bright Lights!†Now God has given us in Uncle John and in the others who have gone before us bright lights to follow until we all reach our destined eternal home together forever in the Kingdom of Light, Happiness, and Peace. Let’s travel “Back to the Bright Lights†together!
3180 Bellevue Avenue