I am Thankful to have know him!

I loved his stories!

He was a World War II hero, a  pilot who flew many harrowing flights over Europe.

Most mornings he would meet his friends at McDonald’s for a cup of coffee, and more importantly, some conversation. I always tried to find an empty chair close to him. I loved to hear him tell the stories of his missions in the war. He made them come alive as he told about real-life heroes. And to me, he was one of them.

Now he was in the twilight of his life. I was amazed that he found the strength, in his 90’s to get ready for each day, much less make it to McDonalds. He was always clean-shaven and dressed in a white shirt and suit coat! Always the well-spoken gentleman.

As we sat sipping coffee I would always say, “Sim, tell us a story.” He would paint pictures in amazing detail of harrowing missions over Germany and of the heroes he served with. He could still remember their names and he would recount details of their lives, about their sweethearts, about their families, about their hopes and dreams of life when they get back home.

His wife suffered from Alzheimer’s Disease and when he left McDonalds he drove to the nursing home where she resided to spend time with her. One particular morning I will never forget his words. I asked him how his wife was doing. He told me that she rarely recognizes him. He said that on the rare occasions when she does, she sometimes looks over at him and says, and then he whispered her words “I love you.” With tears in his eyes he told us, “That just makes my day.”

One day we were at McDonald’s for lunch with our daughter, Audra, and our grandson, Daniel, She was, as it turned out, only a few days away from delivering her second child, James. She was experiencing those days where you just want to have the baby. Sim stopped her. He’d never met her before that day. These were his words to her: “You’ve never been more beautiful than you are today.” She was a little embarrassed. But even more she felt affirmed by this elderly gentleman. That was Sim . . . always eloquent with his words.

Sim and his wife are both in heaven now. After nearly 70 years of marriage, they are together again. When I get to heaven I’m going to look him up. I’m looking forward to more stories.

Who are you thankful you knew on this side of heaven, and can’t wait to see again?

As founding Pastor of The Bridge Community Church and Executive Director of Mo Hodge Ministries, Mo resources Pastors and Leaders in the area of leadership development. He enables Pastors and leaders in the following areas: Developing Teams, Church Growth, Church Planting, Discipleship Multiplication, Nonprofit Organizational Management, Multi-site Church Development, Public Speaking, Capital Campaigns, and Sr. Pastor Succession. … Mo and his wife, Nancy, live in Anderson, IN with their children and grandchildren. Though retired, Mo is still active in ministry, preaching, teaching, and planting new churches wherever the Lord leads. You can follow him in his Newsletter.

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