Categories: uncategorized
Date: 19 May 2007 18:56:30
My Grandpa Emile is 93 today ( tired to find a photo of him but with no success!) Sadly he is not living at home for his birthday as his second wife, my Grandma Mary, had a fall and fractured her pelvis and is in hospital and Grandpa is too frail to look after himself.
Anyway, I managed to track him down to my aunt and uncle's house today so that I could phone him and wish him happy birthday. He is such an encouragement to me. He lived through the second world war and he was evacuated to somewhere in England, and his first wife died of breast cancer many years ago. He tends to get a bit weepy when he is talking to his grandchildren and he loves us all so much. When I was little he owned a greenhouse and we used to wander up and down the plants picking and eating the tiny over-ripe tomatoes. Even now the smell of vine tomatoes transports me back to that place.
He is such a Godly man and has been a member of The Gideons since he was about 16. My Mum told me that when he asked my aunt to go and collect some clothes from his flat for him he also told her that he needed “at least five Gideon Testaments”. Last year he told me that he has witnessed to thousands of people and he continually prays for opportunities to talk to people about his Saviour, but that he had never had the privilege of leading someone to the Lord. I was gobsmacked by this tenacity, and I still find this sense of faith and calling awesome. Even at the age of 93 he continues to talk about Jesus and he consistently talks about his faithfulness. I wish I had half his faith and he is such an awesome inspiration to me.
Anyway, if anyone reading this has a spare moment, please pray for Emile and Mary - both for her healing and for him as he is seperated from her.