Some Glad Morning... I'll Fly Away...

Life is a mystery in so many ways. Each person's length of days is numbered and known by God. For some life is but a moment and for others their life spans nearly a century. My Grandfather, Otis Osborn was such a life. I call my Grandfather "Gramps." This week my Gramps after 98yrs finished a life well lived.

This is an Ode to Gramps....

What a life he had. He was truly a blessed man. He was born in 1925 which was only 18yrs after Oklahoma officially became a state & just 36 yrs after the historic Land Run. No doubt he knew people growing up who had participated in the Land Run. He came from humble roots in a small town in Oklahoma. If he only knew then the times ahead that would mark the span of his life.

For instance, during my Gramps life, he lived through the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression. He was alive to hear the tragic news of Pearl Harbor in real time. He joined the military & served honorably in the Navy as one of America's Greatest Generation. No doubt he rejoiced when the Allies won victory in WWII. An untold number of amazing monumental discoveries throughout the world occurred in his lifetime. For instance, penicillin was discovered not long after his birth and he lived to see 17 men preside as President of the United States. He would also be able to say he survived the great Flu pandemics, the Polio epidemic, and even COVID-19.

He saw the transition from horses to cars, trains to planes, planes to rockets, and the landing of Astronauts on the moon. He witnessed the transition from telegram to long-distance phone calls to cell phones...from US mail to email...from radio to podcast...from fax to Facetime... from newspapers to Facebook. He was the generation who saw the first color TVs and witnessed an arguably unparalleled renaissance of innovation in technology, media, science, and entertainment. Think of the greatest icons in American sports and pop culture in the last near century he has been able to witness. For instance, he was around for Queen Elizabeth's coronation and despite her record-setting reign, he even still outlived her.

If you will indulge me, I would like to share some of the greatest things he taught me through his example.

He taught me that it's better to spend your time in conversation with others being interested in them, than trying to be interesting to them. He was a master at the art of people relations and he showed people value in many ways but one of his choice tools of showing value was by asking engaging and interesting questions. One of my favorite question memories was when he would say "So Nate, tell me, what's your five-year plan?" This question always left me wondering what my 5min, 5day, 5week plan was much less my 5yr plan. :-)

However, it reveals another side of my Gramps, he liked to set goals, live with purpose, and loved to challenge himself. As he got older, so many of his friends unfortunately died. That's what happens when you live to be almost 100. Instead of feeling sorry for himself and living in isolation, he would tell me that he set a goal every year to find 5 new friends. I think in many ways he was also ahead of his time. For instance, one challenge he maintained for years and years was to walk 2 miles a day. Now every medical journal will back this practice up as extremely beneficial but then he just instinctively believed it would be to his benefit. I can remember being in great shape but having a hard time keeping up with his long-legged strides.

He was a man of great curiosity. Like a sponge, he would take his inquiries to the library or the internet or to people who excelled at a subject and learn as much as he could. For instance, I remember as a kid, he asked me randomly "What do you know about the 'Trail of Tears?" I responded by showcasing my very limited understanding. He then let me know he had been reading and studying about the topic. Then he would give me his synopsis. He even gave my sister and me an entire encyclopedia set in the hopes that we too would love to learn. I can also remember him discovering Google Earth. Oh, what a delight for his curious mind. He would travel the world from his office and visit museum after museum virtually. The internet became his portal to learn, study, to connect with the world so much more than ever before. He would even be known for Facebooking with his grandkids. :-) He was so curious to learn new things, and to share what he learned, and I admire that.

He was a man of great joy. What do I mean by that? Well, he had an unnatural complete joy about him. He was no stranger to tragedy. He lost his beloved sister in a tragic accident that robbed her of her youth & family. He would go on to face many more difficulties. However, his conversation, his countenance, and deminer were consistently marked by joy. It's fitting that one of his favorite songs was "Ode to Joy." There is no doubt in my mind that this joy came from Gramp's relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. In Nehemiah 8:10, it is written.."the joy of the LORD is your strength." My Gramps had an amazing wit, and fantastic sense of humor, but a true joy. Not a happiness dependent on happenings but a real joy and I will never forget that.

He was a man of faith. His relationship with Christ changed him. He came to Christ fully in his early 30s I believe. I'm sure he had a great head knowledge of God but he committed to a relationship with Christ later in life. I knew Gramps to be a faithful follower of Christ. I don't remember ever seeing him lash out in anger, curse a man, or betray someone. He was fair, understanding, gentle, honest, and a man of great integrity. He was faithful to his word. Look around you, how many men have remained committed & faithful to their wife for over 74yrs? He was a tremendously thoughtful man. A man who was inclined to serve others. He spent so many years with my precious Grandma caring for the elderly and family. My Gramps loved God and God's favor was evident in his life in every season. What a legacy he gave to me. I will forever inspired by such an example.

He was a generous man. I learned very early from my Gramp's father that generosity was a family trait. I can remember my Great Grandfather was not a man of great means but would give so much of his money and produce that he toiled so hard to earn & garden to strangers, the needy, friends, and family. He was perfectly content to live a modest life if it meant he could always be able to give generously to others. Well, my Gramps was a chip off the old block. He too was a very generous man. With his wealth, his time, his talents, his service, and his resources. He and my Grandma will never know how much their generous spirit means to me and I am determined to keep this legacy of generosity alive all the days of my life.

He was intentional about investing in me as his grandkid. One of Gramp's favorite sports was golf. He took me and my cousin Matt along for the journey of learning how to be great at golf. He would have my cousin and I stay with him for a week in the summer. He would have us paired with golf pros to get individual lessons. He would read and find videos to help my game. When I would visit, he might ask me to show him my grip on the club and then adjust it based on new learnings. Then of course we would have to go to the driving range to try the new approaches out and better our games. One of his favorite memories of me playing with him was on a par 3. My ball went into the water, I tried to reach it with his ball retriever, and the whole ground under my feet fell out under me. I went with it immersing myself in the creek. We both thought that was so funny and he can remember cleaning me up from dirt & mud in his washroom at his house. He invested so much in me when he could of time, and attention, and gave me a love for golf. What great memories and in many ways he showed me what it looks like to intentionally invest in those you love.

My Gramps wasn't a perfect man, who is. However, even when he lost so much of what brought him joy mainly his sight which took away his ability to read, watch things on TV, go on the internet, or even phone someone to converse...he never fell into some depression of isolation, anger, or bitterness. He somehow remained optimistic.

There is so much I could write about Gramps. He loved music, Cubs baseball, watching the Thunder, the Sooners, and so much more. I'm certainly going to miss him. He has been a rock for our family for so long. But I have such a joy in my heart that he is in Heaven with His Savior. He set the bar so high but what a legacy to give our family.

Gramps well done! You ran your race and I can't wait to meet again! What a life! You even managed to do just what the old hymn said: "Some glad morning when this life is over, I'll fly away......"

Love You Gramps,

Nate

"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing."

2 Timothy 4:7-8