In Memory Reverend Earl Thomas : Papaw

I go to funerals. It's what I get to do as apart of my service as a pastor. Some weeks I have none, others I have a couple. Over the last two weeks I attended 5. The last of which was for Reverend Earnest Earl Thomas of Huntington, TN. Reverend Thomas was one of the early pastors of the church that I serve at, he is the man who built the house that I currently live in, he gave the vows in my wedding ceremony, but most importantly he is grandfather to my wife; her papaw.

I have known him casually as an "in-law", but always felt welcomed by him. He married Jennifer and I almost 7 years ago and his health has been on the decline ever since. For the past several years he has been confined to his home except for an occasional doctors visit. After hearing the stories of the things this great man did I wish I had had the opportunity to learn from him on what it takes to be a successful husband, father, and pastor...in that order.

The stories I heard about him from family and those he made an impact on have given me a lot to think about today and probably for the days to come. The attendance at the memorial services are a testimony to the number of lives he had an impact on.There is a lot to be said of how churches and a church mentalities have changed since he began his ministry - both good and bad.

Of the stories that I heard over the weekend these are just a few.

• Papaw Thomas would have been married to his wife Jewel for 62 years this Saturday. In a time when 50% of ALL (Christian or not) families end in divorce that is something to be inspired by.
• He served our country in the World War II.
  
• He turned down an opportunity to take over as president/manager of an oil business to take the pastoral position of a little church in Adamsville, Tn that had a congregation of 30 something members and less than 20 cents in the bank account. He traveled over an hour for almost 2 years several times a week as he continued to work full time in Huntington and pastor full time in Adamsville.
  
• He traveled to East TN, hours away, to visit with a young church member who had lost his leg in the Vietnam war.
• He traveled to Missouri to visit a church member who had fallen ill while on a trip.
• He got up in the middle of the night to baptize a man that he worked with.

I learned a lot this weekend and was inspired to continue in the work that I have started as a husband, father, and servant of Christ.

Below is the scripture that I read in his honor as I read his obituary this weekend. I feel is suitably sums up what I know about him and the advice that I feel he would give me if I asked it of him.

"So my dear brothers and sisters, stand strong. Do not let anything change you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your work in the Lord is never wasted."
~1 Corinthians 15:58