Love & Fortitude

These are my grandparents on their wedding day. Granddaddy looked especially dapper in his Army uniform.
Thinking of him on this Veteran’s Day. When his enlistment time was up, he penned the following:
“I have just given four years, four months, and fourteen days of my life in the service of my country, and I am proud of every minute of it.”
Then a new realization came to him.
“I feel the same way about my God, how great He is, and I am His child and He is my Heavenly Father. I would gladly die for Him, and from this day on I will do all I can to praise Him, promote Him, and to make the world aware of His wonderful presence.”
And that’s exactly what he did the rest of his days.
Following is an excerpt from one of his sermons:
“The time to teach one to love his enemies is before he learns to hate...A life built upon Christ is properly balanced, and able to endure much. A life built on any other foundation is colored by conflicts of the world; it breaks under pressure, and often goes to pieces. Our lives must be tempered with the spirit of Christian love and fortitude if we are to meet the problems of each day as strong and true followers of Christ.”
Love and fortitude are definitely two traits he modeled so well. He was the kindest man I’ve ever known. We’re talking Mr. Rogers caliber here! 
Even the last several years of his life which were often marked by chronic pain, he praised & promoted Jesus, and made the world aware of His wonderful presence.
I miss him. I’m proud of his service for this country. But I’m even prouder of the legacy of love he left behind.
Granddaddy, I’m doing my best to carry the torch. ​