‘Yes; after a long life of service to God and man, Envoy Richard Collett OF, of the Preston Corps was ‘Promoted to Glory’.
There will be many people who will write the official eulogy for this great man, but there are very few who will know everything about ‘Uncle Dick’. For me that does not matter it’s what I know and remember, that will sustain me in the times of discouragement and encourage me in the times of excitement and when all is well. ‘Uncle Dick’ had the unique ability to put people at ease and just by his manner show them what they could become. Since he went to the retirement village I called in when I could and he used to say that I came in like a whirlwind with enthusiasm and energy, but I just so appreciated his ability to foster in me the overwhelming emotion that I want to be like him. He truly was the consumate ‘Christian Gentleman’ and despite all the people that I have met and had contact with he is possibly one, among a small handful, who I want to be like.
When I go to the funeral next week, I will be full of emotion and will represent my family who knew him and loved him also. I am sure that there will be tears, but my overwhelming emotion will be one of joy for this man who did more for me than all the sermons that I have ever heard. By his very presence, he made me feel far more important than I ever could be, and opened my eyes to the possibility of being more than I could even hope to be.
In my ‘middle age’ I used to say to my kids I have two ambitions and they are to be ‘Old and Wise’, and almost unconsciously, I now think that my ambition was based on what I knew of the life of Uncle Dick. And the Scripture that talks about Job’s death as being ‘old and full of years’, or ‘aged and satisfied with days’.
Farwell Uncle Dick! The sadness of your passing is going to translate into a burning desire to be like you. There will of course be only one Uncle Dick but you have built positivity into so many lives that your influence will never die. The Faith that you exuded in your diminutive frame was legendry and belonged to the giants of our faith.
Of all the accolades that any of us can have poured over us is that we simply ‘knew Uncle Dick’.
If you haven’t got an ‘Uncle Dick’; go and find one; better still you need to be one.
There will be many people who will write the official eulogy for this great man, but there are very few who will know everything about ‘Uncle Dick’. For me that does not matter it’s what I know and remember, that will sustain me in the times of discouragement and encourage me in the times of excitement and when all is well. ‘Uncle Dick’ had the unique ability to put people at ease and just by his manner show them what they could become. Since he went to the retirement village I called in when I could and he used to say that I came in like a whirlwind with enthusiasm and energy, but I just so appreciated his ability to foster in me the overwhelming emotion that I want to be like him. He truly was the consumate ‘Christian Gentleman’ and despite all the people that I have met and had contact with he is possibly one, among a small handful, who I want to be like.
When I go to the funeral next week, I will be full of emotion and will represent my family who knew him and loved him also. I am sure that there will be tears, but my overwhelming emotion will be one of joy for this man who did more for me than all the sermons that I have ever heard. By his very presence, he made me feel far more important than I ever could be, and opened my eyes to the possibility of being more than I could even hope to be.
In my ‘middle age’ I used to say to my kids I have two ambitions and they are to be ‘Old and Wise’, and almost unconsciously, I now think that my ambition was based on what I knew of the life of Uncle Dick. And the Scripture that talks about Job’s death as being ‘old and full of years’, or ‘aged and satisfied with days’.
Farwell Uncle Dick! The sadness of your passing is going to translate into a burning desire to be like you. There will of course be only one Uncle Dick but you have built positivity into so many lives that your influence will never die. The Faith that you exuded in your diminutive frame was legendry and belonged to the giants of our faith.
Of all the accolades that any of us can have poured over us is that we simply ‘knew Uncle Dick’.
If you haven’t got an ‘Uncle Dick’; go and find one; better still you need to be one.
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