The Happiest Man I have Known

1 Thessalonians 3:9 How we thank God for you! Because of you we have great joy as we enter God's presence.  
The world lost a happy man the other day. It was a sudden loss. It still doesn't seem real. But heaven gained a big smiling face!!!!!

A dear sweet man from church passed from this life into the glory of God the other night. I don't think I ever saw him without a smile on his face. I have only known him for a few short years. He was in his late 70's when I met him.

He started coming to church with a sweet little lady. They were boyfriend/ girlfriend and were so sweet together. He always had his arm around her or they were holding hands. Sort of made me a little jealous!

She was a christian and loved church. He was a man who had thought for years that "maybe" he was all right with the Lord.

  She doesn't drive, so he took her everywhere she needed to go. And he loved coming to church. Whatever the occassion, whatever was going on at church, every picnic, cookout, hayride, wagon ride, revival, Sunday school, preaching, worship service,Bible study, they were there. And always with a smile on his face. Always asking, "Ms Kathy, how are you"?

He had a thirst for God's word. He was hungry for God. He would ask questions. We answered them the best we could.

One night after Bible study, in the Sunday school room of the church, he committed his life to the Lord. He realized that he hadn't been saved but needed to be saved. He was 77 years old.

I'm sure there was some shouting going on that night. On earth and in heaven

. He was baptized. He said he thought once he was saved and baptized the devil would leave him alone. But he said he was wrong. He said the devil was on his shoulder when he came up out of the water.We told him the devil had had him before and didn't like that he was God's child now.He said the devil could just get over it. He belonged to God!

He was a happy man, because he trusted in God to take care of everything..

He had troubles and problems, like everyone else. He took everything with a smile. He prayed to his Lord and Savior and trusted Him to take care of whatever problem he had. He wasn't ashamed to go to the altar to pray. He wasn't ashamed to raise his hands in praise to the Lord who saved him. He wasn't ashamed to proclaim God's word to his neighbors.


We started an early Praise and Worship service. We start an hour before our regular worship service. He and his lady were usually the first ones there. If I got there and they weren't, I would pray nothing was wrong. And in a few minutes they would show up. He loved the praise service. We would sing and listen to songs and just praise and worship our Lord.He told us more than once that he needed a bigger cup because his cup was running over with joy.

He would say that he couldn't understand why people didn't come to church. That the church and all churches should be full each week. He believed if more would come to church that the world would be a better place. If we had more people like this dear man, the world would be a better place.

Last Sunday he went into the hospital. He thought he had food poisoning. Monday afternoon, my pastor called and said they were sending him to another hospital, that he had cancer and his organs were shutting down. He made it through that night. Late Tuesday night he departed this earth.

A service is planned for Saturday, to celebrate his life. I don't think he would want us to be sad. I think he would want us to remember the good times we had.

 I'll always remember his smile. I'll remember his hunger for the word of God, his questions, all his stories.

By meeting this precious man, talking to him, praying with and for him, he brought joy to my life. He makes me want to be a better person. He makes me want to spread God's love to others, just like he did. He makes me want to be a happy person.

I can just imagine the smile on his face right now. And I pray he's getting all his questions answered.

How I thank God for you, Mr. Charlie! Because of you I have great joy as I enter God's presence.

With love, Kathy