Honor Through Service
posted by on 01/22/10
Grandpa didn’t keep a high-paying job with Boeing when he felt called to duty–though he could have.
Nor did he claim the Purple Heart–though he could have.
And when he came back from the service, Grandpa didn’t have to share his experiences with us–but he did.
His stories reflected his understanding of having a just cause and the fulfillment that came from making his superior officers successful in their mission. Another memory I have of Grandpa was the day he took us outside as young boys and showed us how to pick up the sticks in the lawn for Dad before he mowed. He always served to the best of his ability and that was his motivation on the job, in the army or at home.
Recently was Grandpa’s 86th birthday. We rose early on that Saturday morning, made a fruit salad, and pulled together the dry ingredients for pancakes. Normally it is our tradition on Friday morning to have pumpkin pancakes for breakfast at home but this week we decided to 
take it to Grandma and Grandpa’s for a “breakfast lunch”. Since Grandma has often made 
pancakes for us during our visits, we were more than happy to return the favor.
Other relatives were there too. We joined to honor a patriarch. It was good to see that Grandpa was in an agreeable mood and it only grew as the smell of frying eggs and ham began to waft through the house. From then on the time went quickly. The fellowship was enjoyable and after cake and ice cream we had a discussion about creation that reminded us of how perfect God’s timing is.
A more sobering reminder came when Grandpa said that he felt his time on the earth would be short. It is a reminder to us all that we ought to be thankful for every opportunity we have to honor our Savior with our service. This is praiseworthy.
What a blessing to have a Grandpa who loves us and is so willing to share from his experiences! Thank you, Grandpa!
A special time indeed! Seeing the pictures reminded me of how much I miss Michael’s incredible pancakes and fruit salad. But I miss the time with Grandpa far, far more. We have so many wonderful memories with him to be grateful for! Happy Birthday Grandpa Brown!
What a blessing to be with family!!!
I must admit, as i read I kept thinking..pumpkin pancakes….mmm.. that sounds so good. You should post the recipe!
Donald Congratulates you have Grandpa and Grandma .
And you can leard many thing from them.In Chinese we said”家有一老,如有一寶.They can give us many
advices and experiences.So they like treasure in your family.
I appreciate the easily remembered saying “Honor your Savior with your service. This is praiseworthy.” I will probably post this on my bulletin board so that I can see it every day. Thank you!
Thank you for that post. I really miss being there close to Grandma and Grandpa. I’m glad you all took this opportunity to spend a little extra time with them on his birthday. Wish I could have been there.