What I Love About Bob

I have a friend named Bob who continually inspires me to be a better person, a better Christian. I received his Christmas letter today. It made me think of him - appreciate him. Bob's in his early eighties, a retired UCC pastor. He worshipped at our Presbyterian church (he said hoping to convert us all) for many years.

Bob moved to a retirement community in a city about an hour away from Danvegas a couple of years ago. Before he left, Bob lead the local chapter of Habitat for Humanity. He played on the church's golf team (yes, that's right, golf team). When on the golf course, however Bob was really more interested in finding balls that folks had lost on the course. He collected them, bagged them, and sold them - with the proceeds going to Habitat. That's the kind of person he is. Any good work that presents itself, Bob embraces.

He recounts his 2007 travels in his letter. Bob was on the road 7 out of 12 months last year. He began the year leading a team to Orlando to receive training as Stephen ministers, spent a week as a camp counsellor this summer, and managed this fall to make it to New Orleans to see what he could do to help. The rest of the time Bob was visiting family and friends. This guy is active!

In 2006 Bob joined my kids and me in a short mission trip to Colombia, South America. We built a road. Heavy work for a guy in his eighties, but Bob joined right in. Because of his age, experience, and obvious wisdom, he finds himself asked to take on leadership roles - praying, preaching, offering fatherly advice.

Bob ends his letter with: "Once again I wish for you all the hope and joy that are part of our celebration of the birth of the Prince of Peace and pray that the coming year will be filled with opportunities to reach out to others in His name and to find ways to help make this battered world a more livable and lovable habitation."

I'm certain that Bob's prayer will be answered in the affirmative: we all will be given a year filled with opportunities to serve and love others. My prayer is that we will jump on those opportunities with the same gusto and faithfulness that Bob does.