In Loving Memory of Employee #3049

I love how great God is. I truly believe that unexplained  “little” things happen to all of us all of the time.  Maybe some of us are blessed with a more keen radar to spot these things. Maybe some of us choose to focus on the tree, instead of the forest. Only the good Lord knows.

Sometimes,  God allows me to see the beautiful, intricate details of the bark on one of those trees.  This story is about one of those times.

We all grieve differently when we lose someone we love.  For me, when Joseph died, time stood still.  The casket was closed. The pictures were packed  away.  In 10 years, I’ve never opened the tubs that store his pictures. There are no pictures on my walls. Call me selfish, but those memories belong to me and my boys, and I don’t want to share.  Joseph breathes, walks, and lives in our home daily…. through his boys.

Now on to the latest piece of bark….

When Joseph passed away, he was an employee with the City of Lancaster.   I will always be grateful to our town for the compassion and love that was bestowed upon us, far beyond what our society says is “normal”.  10 years later, and the City is still blessing us and giving my boys parts of their daddy.

Upon Chase graduating high school, he went to work for the City.  Chase was 10 when his daddy passed away, and now 10 years later, at almost 20, he works with many of the same those co-workers.   Chase has been blessed with story after story of his daddy.

Hunter looks, walks, talks, and collects keys and “junk” just like his daddy. At 18, there is no mistaking his genes.  He is his daddy’s twin.

At some point back, Hunter had come across some old keys and metal numbered key tabs. He was clueless to where they came from. Regardless, my Fred Sanford took a particular key tab and put it on his key ring.  A bulging key ring already full of useless “junk”.

A few weeks ago, in honor of Pops upcoming kidney surgery, we were in a restaurant celebrating with family and friends.   Hunter happened to be sitting next to a lady named Deborah. Deborah works for the City of Lancaster and has all the way back to when Joseph was alive. I’m not sure of exactly how it happened, but they started talking about key tabs and Hunter showed her the one he found.

I’m not sure who was shocked more, but Deborah quickly informed Hunter that that key tab was his daddy’s!  And the engraved number was his daddy’s employee number with the City.  Wow!

A few days ago, I noticed that key tab on Hunter’s chain next to a medallion that has 3 precious words etched  in his daddy’s handwriting, “I love you”.   Hunter was only 7 when he lost his daddy, but God surely used another City employee to bless my boy in a way she’ll never understand. His daddy was employee number 3049.

#3049

That has led me to wondering what  my own number is in the Lamb’s Book. Then I’m reminded, it doesn’t matter, so long as my name is in there. I certainly believe that Employee #3049’s is in there and that the Lord loves  #3049’s boys so much that he continues to bless them and remind them of their sweet daddy.

God allowed me to see this piece of bark on a little ‘ol tree in a huge, huge forest.  I hope it blesses you.

 

Until next time,

The Beancounter