Jim Griffis Remembrances - August 22, 2025

I’m Jimmy’s little brother, J.J. God used my big brother Jimmy to significantly shape my identity, so I hope that my remembrances today are some help to both me and you to honor Jimmy and thank God for making him a part of our lives. Also, I hope it helps you to love and cherish people in your life, and to honor them even now. (If you need context for any of these stories, we grew up in the Amazon rainforest as missionary kids for a significant part of our upbringing.)

Like I said, I’m Jimmy’s little brother, JJ. Separated by only a couple years, we were inseparable as kids. There was hardly any Jimmy as just Jimmy, or just JJ; we were Jimmy and JJ. 

And as his little brother, I just wanted to beat him at stuff! So I turned nearly everything into a competition of some sort. But it was almost like he was born first, and born to make sure his little brother didn’t win. And in fairness to Jimmy, he wasn’t often a jerk about it, either. In fact, he had a kind of insecurity about him that his arrogant and foolish little brother didn’t have. I don’t think he knew that he was better than me at everything. But I knew it, and I still do. 

Who could do the most pull-ups? Jimmy. Who could run faster? Jimmy. I mean, I’m really fast, but if I made Jimmy mad, I had to zig-zag to stay out of arms reach. 

Who was more creative and smarter? Jimmy. The guy could get all A’s and B’s without studying, or only studying in the bathroom for 10 minutes before the exam.

Who had the patience to catch the most fish? Jimmy. And he was super kind and patient about teaching other people to fish—even his own kids can attest to that. When we were in grade school, and Jennifer was a just toddler, and we’d be at the creek together, Jimmy would catch a fish and then leave it on the line and give it to Jennifer so he could see her enthusiastic joy at the great catch she just made. 

When I joined my siblings at boarding school, who was the funniest kid in school? Jimmy. He had everyone so entertained and in stitches. Jimmy could even hold his breath until he fainted, and somehow that was a big hit. I mean, how could I compete with that? 

And who was the most generous towards friends with his allowance money? Jimmy. In fact, he’d spend all his, and then we’d share mine to buy Christmas presents from us for family members for when Christmas break rolled around and we got to go home. That reminds me, Candy not only used to leave us the sweetest notes in our desks at school, with Bible verses and an “I love you” to each of us, but she also really pulled it off to act impressed and thankful when she unwrapped that really nicely scented shampoo we got her. 

Back home in the tribe, I told Jimmy it would be super cool to spend the night in the fort Dad built for us. And when I say fort, I mean, this thing was cool. It was like a little building 15 feet in the air on stilts with a tin roof and everything, and only a rope ladder to get into it. We decided to try to sleep out in the fort, just the two of us. Now, I may have had the idea, but Jimmy was man enough to do it. Well, sort of. We were both chicken so we built a fire to keep away any curious jaguars and such… we built the fire directly under the fort. Who would have known that smoke inhalation would make staying up there a challenge? 

Actually, we were both too scared to ever really stay the night out there. So Mike, much older than both of us, a young adult by this time, had to rescue us both from our shame and sleep out there too so that we could finally say we did it. Mike, we are forever in your debt. 

My quest to defeat Jimmy continued. Who almost always won at ping pong? Jimmy. Climb the highest tree to get the best fruit? Jimmy. Willing to jump from the highest height into the water to prove his bravery to the cute girl we simultaneously had a crush on? Jimmy. Willing to eat the craziest stuff? Grub worms, dude, seriously? 

Jimmy and I went fishing once by ourselves upriver for the day. We were in junior high by now, and if we could carry the outboard motor ourselves and put it on the johnboat, we were allowed to go fishing alone. Well on this one trip I was driving the motor in the back, and Jimmy was my lookout up front to make sure I didn’t hit any floating debris. We knew the regular channel in the river, but we still had to keep our eyes open for floating debris. Well, we walloped something, and I was sure we’d hit a log. As I loudly and vehemently lambasted Jimmy for not keeping his eyes peeled, he pointed behind us at what we’d just hit. And there was a massive anaconda writhing with its back broken. Well, in order to get all the glory, Jimmy proceeded to shoot it in the head with the little 410 shotgun we had and to stash the anaconda in the boat. I don’t mind telling you now, that because it was so big that even now I would not be able to put my hands around the middle of that snake, I was still scared of it dead. But did I tell Jimmy? Absolutely not. Instead I suggested that it would be super awesome if we stopped and cooked some of that Anaconda and ate it. Well, you can guess what Jimmy did. He made a fire and boiled some of that snake and it was… well, it was stringy and probably undercooked. Oh, and I can’t blame Jimmy. He also cooked better than me. 

Like I said, Jimmy was just better than me at stuff, even if he didn’t know it. But sometimes he also just wouldn’t lose. We got to goof around in a jet boat that belonged to our uncle Mike. On this boat there was no propeller to worry about, so we (probably me) hatched the bright idea to hold on to the handles on the back and just see who could stay on the longest, while Josh (who’s here today) drove it pretty wildly to knock us off. (Uncle Mike, I’m pretty sure there’s a statute of limitations for what we can get in trouble for, right?) Well, when Josh tore off in the jet boat, we started whipping along on our bellies, and Jimmy’s shorts also whipped right off from the water pressure. But did Jimmy let go? No he did not. I don’t remember every detail from that point; I was a little distracted with laughter. But I’m guessing I had to concede losing in order for us to return and retrieve Jimmy’s shorts. 

Now you’ll think I’m just being petty, but I’m pretty sure Jimmy was saved first, trusting his whole life to God in Christ Jesus, and I think he was baptized like minutes before me. 

I’m realizing right now that I got married first, but Jimmy had kids first, so that’s a hardship I live with. Jimmy got an English degree before me, and honestly, who was a better teacher and soccer coach? Jimmy, of course.  

Even in his recent years of mental health struggles, Jimmy was more compassionate and merciful than me. Jimmy was still thinking of others and creating things for them, and keeping water bottles and granola bars in his car to generously give to panhandlers that crossed his path. 

I’m Jimmy’s little brother, JJ, who knew better than Jimmy himself, that Jimmy was better at stuff than me. And this final race that Jimmy has won I don’t begrudge him at all. 

Bear with me now as I say this final thing to Jimmy himself, as a kind of grieving closer that has been in my head all week. 

Jimmy, you beat me to heaven, brother, to be at rest in the presence of Jesus, and I couldn’t be happier for you. Hug mommy for us too.   

I love you. Your little brother, JJ.