Funeral of one who followed his Lord

I attended a funeral today of a man who followed what we are told to do in the Bible.

I knew that "Ole" was a believer because I'd heard him pray. And I knew that he took a great interest in the young people of the community because of the way he would talk to my kids, especially my son. He went to the sports events and other events at the school because he enjoyed young people and he wanted to show his support.

He would often go the the "B" basketball game, then leave the stands after it was over, and come back for the "A" game. I finally had asked, "Where does Ole go?" He went to the nursing home to visit the residents. At the funeral today, a letter was read that said Ole had been the most consistant visitor at the nursing home and hospital.

I didn't know much about Ole's life before he settled down full time in his retirement home and attended my church. I didn't realize that he was 80 years old. I knew he had been a teacher, and I heard today of how he took a personal interest in his students. I also learned that when he lived in the city where he taught, he also made it a priority to visit people in the hospital and in prison.

In recent months, Ole often accompanied his wife to our Bible study because she was reluctant to leave him home alone any more. Ole was fading away, it seemed. But Ole could still pray, and he did. We always felt blessed when he prayed. And he could hug. To know Ole was to know that he loved the Lord even when Ole didn't say a word.

Amen.