A Life Well Lived {Part 2}

This is Part 2, please head back to Part 1 if you missed it yesterday.

  The service opened with prayer and worship, Papa’s favorites:

Amazing Grace, old style and then leading into the new worship version and How Great Thou Art.

  I loved looking over the crowd and seeing ALL the hunting Camo!!!!    Brave Destiny had a special song for her Papa, I shared it on my facebook page if you missed it, click here.

  She did so well! Her voice never wavered, and she kept her tears in check.  She was doing this for HER PAPA! 

  For those that are having trouble hearing that cell phone video, here is a short one from practice night that is easier to hear, but not see.

Tee hee, I can’t win for losing apparently!

  Next, Dale gave the eulogy…..

  “How do I say good bye to a Man that meant so much to me and to so many others, and he never really knew it? 

A man that was so full of life, so kind, so patient, so full of love, that it just flowed from him. I had the honor and privilege to call this man my dad. 

  The name Don Ferguson means so many different things, to so many different people:

  To some it means best friend, to some it means Papa or Grandpa, or it could be as simple as the words trustworthy, dependable, loving, kind, caring, humble, or selfless, but I think the one word that describes my father the best is Christ-like.

  God’s word tells that the second greatest commandment is to love your neighbor as your self. That is one thing that my dad did very well. He would have done anything that he could for whoever needed it, whenever they called. I remember 

  As a child going to every church workday helping out however we could. (even when I didn’t want to)

   My dad was a man who loved the outdoors. Some of my best memories growing up are of waking up early on a Saturday to go to the Dutch Kitchen, order some biscuits and gravy and just wait for the sun to start peeking over the horizon, so we could go shot some coyotes. 

  My dad loved to fish I think more than anything else and he was good. The patience that he had out there was incredible! I remember one time a couple of years ago, we where crappie fishing together, and I finally caught 1 more then he did.

  What I didn’t tell him was that I showed up 2 hours before he did. He always told me “It’s not a competition, Dale” but I think he might have said that because he usually had the most fish.

So how do I say goodbye to the man that taught me how to fish, and was going to help me teach my boys?

How do I say goodbye to the man that played the biggest roll in who I am today?

How do you say goodbye??

You don’t.  You don’t say good bye.

You say I will see you later, because Dad,  I WILL see you again!
And in the words of my dad, “Ah, it’ll be alright.”

…….It will be alright.”

 

  Next up, was “A Life Well Lived” video slideshow:

 My love offering and gift to my father in law, and this day of memories.  I was so thankful we were able to get some of his baby pictures from his birth mother in Arkansas.  It’s 8 minutes long, so I posted it on google docs.  It would mean so much to me if you would watch it. 

  You will be able to see lots of the final days at Hospice together that I didn’t take the time to blog. Just follow this link please to watch the slideshow. 

  Pastor Paul gave a wonderful message, the good news of Jesus Christ, and so many AMAZING Papa stories.  It was personal and it was special! 

Don’s 3 sons and 3 best friends escorted the casket out.  Zane and Tylan were honorary helpers. 

  Time to put Papa to rest. 

  Part 3 will share the photos of the grave site service…..the hardest part of all.
~T

 

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