I lost my grandfather a few years ago and was given the privelege and the honor to pen a poem that was printed in his obituary. I wrote this piece without a written story or testimony. The memories I have of him served as the foundation of this poem.
I looked up to my grandfather. He is the portait of a man that I model my life after. Deacon James Kelsey was the patriarch of our entire family. Even though he was my mother's father, he was more of a father to my brothers and I than he was a grandfather. My grandfather was a father figure to so many young and older in the DC Metropolitan Area. His funeral was one that mirrored the likes of political figures. His obituary was adorned with letters from the White House, the Mayors Office, and Bishops from all over the country. If I have the ability to leave a fraction of the legacy that he left, that would be a great feat. The funny thing is ...he stressed to me the significance of exceeding the legacy of my predecessors. Therefore, I accept the challenge of touching as many lives as I can; not only with my writing but with the way I live my life.
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| He was recognized as a PFC (on paper) because black soldiers weren't promotable then. But if I were to show you the amount of medals and honors he received, it would blow your mind. Trust me! It blew my mind. |
Eternal Gain
By Christoph Jenkins,
(Grandson)
Your influence flows through our veins | And our hearts are maintained by the thought of your eternal gain | No loss has been claimed | We praise His name | Your name, Deacon James Kelsey, will live on through the lives you’ve changed | Your teachings have not been in vain | Our lives have been enriched and sustained because we’ve watched and listened while you trained | Your life ought to be framed | Men have followed your lead because you taught them to go with God’s flow and not against the grain | We thank God for granting you peace and relieving you of all pain | You can finally enjoy the sun because you have endured the rain…long enough | You started the chain to which we’ve added links to carry on the Kelsey name | So on today, as we celebrate your life, we long for the day we see you again!
We Love you, Granddad!
By Christoph Jenkins,
(Grandson)
Your influence flows through our veins | And our hearts are maintained by the thought of your eternal gain | No loss has been claimed | We praise His name | Your name, Deacon James Kelsey, will live on through the lives you’ve changed | Your teachings have not been in vain | Our lives have been enriched and sustained because we’ve watched and listened while you trained | Your life ought to be framed | Men have followed your lead because you taught them to go with God’s flow and not against the grain | We thank God for granting you peace and relieving you of all pain | You can finally enjoy the sun because you have endured the rain…long enough | You started the chain to which we’ve added links to carry on the Kelsey name | So on today, as we celebrate your life, we long for the day we see you again!
We Love you, Granddad!
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| The men in our family who are better because of Deacon James Kelsey! |
Until next time ...exceed the legacy of your predecessors and touch as many lives as possible!
Christoph Writes...
"If my words have the ability to develop wings of encouragement, I hope they take flight in someone's life." ~Christoph Jenkins
Your writing inspires me to pursue my passion. It is because of your posts that I know if I stay faithful and steadfast in God; my passion will reveal itself to me. Your writing gives purpose to the purposeless. Keep pursing your passion and watch how God will manifest in your life.
ReplyDeleteYours in life and christ
Shannon (My Wife),
ReplyDeleteThank you for frequenting my blog. I appreciate your readership and your companionship. God will reveal to you your passion before you know it. And you never know, you may be excerizing your passion without even knowing it. If you look deep enough and ask yourself what you want to be known or remembered for, you may come closer to discovering your passion.