Remembering Uncle Michael

It’s a privilege to share with you my thoughts and memory of my Uncle Michael.

My desire is to honor him well. And I believe the greatest honor and glory to give someone is to share the ways they resemble the glorious God that created us all.

So, quickly, I’d like to share 4 ways Uncle Michael resembled God.

First…

Uncle Michael was a man of compassion

The scriptures say that God defends the cause of the orphan and widow, he loves the foreigner, giving them food and clothing.

During a very hard time for my family, when my mom was functionally a widow, and I was functionally an orphan. When my mother and I first moved to Colorado and then here, uncle Michael really stepped up to help support us and help us get on our feet. He and aunt Brenda opened their home to us and fed us. This really changed the trajectory of our lives here.I also know he did this for my grandma snow, and I’m sure there are tons of people who have similar stories here.

Uncle Michael was a man of compassion

Second…

Uncle Michael was a man of power, love, and discipline.

The scriptures say that God gave His children a spirit of power, love, and self discipline. Power, love and self discipline all originate in God.

Uncle Michael, in my memory, was a man who had a powerful presence. While it was powerful, it was also rooted in love. He might have been firm and resolved but he was also tender and kind. These are marks of love. And his actions spoke of that love too.

Uncle Michael was a man of power, love, and self discipline.

Third…

Uncle Michael was a man of generosity

The scriptures record how Jesus said this to His disciples, “If you then who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask.”

My memories of Uncle Michael include watching him give of himself. Not just to his children, but to everyone. He did this with material things, but especially with his time and service. He was the kind of guy you could count on. The kind of guy you would call if you were in crisis. He spent countless hours helping my mother, my grandma and grandpa, and I know others in this room.

Uncle Michael was a man of generosity.

Lastly,

Uncle Michael was a man of Loving Sacrifice

John 3:16 says that “God so loved the World he gave his only son that who so ever believes in Him might not perish but have everlasting life.

Just as God was sacrificial in sending his son for us out of love, Uncle Michael, motivated by love, was very sacrificial for others. All of the previous things I mentioned already are things that always cost uncle Michael something.

Just like God was willing to sacrifice something precious, Uncle Michael was willing to sacrifice his comfort, his space, material possessions, his time, and his energy to enrich the lives of those around him.

If you want an obvious example of this, you need look no further than looking at how Uncle Michael sacrificed so much for his bride!

There is an amazing statement in the Bible after Jesus, God the Son, was dealing with the threats of religious leaders who wanted to kill him. The scriptures say that it was at this time that Jesus “set his face towards Jerusalem”. Jerusalem was where he knew a cross awaited him. A cross that would give life to, what the Bible calls, His bride and church. You see, church isn’t a building, it’s people. People who have realized and embrace the great loving sacrifice that Jesus gave on the cross to save us from the penalty of sin. Jesus was resolved to go to Jerusalem and to the cross because He loved His bride!

That conviction of loving sacrifice Jesus had is something, I believe, we all saw Uncle Michael had toward his bride, Aunt Brenda. Uncle Michael CHERISHED Aunt Brenda. And he was resolved to set his face towards her needs. He never wavered. He never gave up. Even so that he lived longer than doctors said he would. I believe that it wasn’t chemotherapy that gave us more time with Uncle Michael. I believe it was God’s grace and Uncle Michael’s resolve. I think we all know why he resolved to fight so hard. He cared deeply for his bride. And of course, his family. Because that’s the kind of man he was.

Uncle Michael was…

a man of compassion

a man of power, love, and discipline

a man of generosity

and a man of loving sacrifice.

I praise God that He has been so kind to us all in showing us his glory and goodness in Uncle Michael.

but beloved, there is one final thing that uncle Michael shares with our Lord. Or, i should say, will share...

Resurrection. I rejoice knowing we will meet again In Glory.