Christ - The Reese Source - February 2008

IN MEMORIAM

On the morning of Thursday, February 7th, I lost a dear friend and a role model. Dale K. McMennamy went home to the Lord at the age of ninety-two, leaving behind his wife of sixty nine years, his son and daughter-in-law, three grandchildren, their spouses, and three great-grandchildren. I will and do miss him greatly.

Married sixty-nine years! Wow! He and his wife, Sarah, were role models for so many of us. At Mr. McMennamy’s funeral, I was talking with some of the men of his church. They spoke humorously of how Mr. McMennamy made them all look “bad”. He always opened the car door for his wife, held hands with her, and held the door open for her going into the church. Mrs. McMennamy shared with me the other day that his name for her was “Angel”. Not long ago, during a sleepless night, as she was retuning to bed, he looked at her and asked, “What do you do with your wings at night?”

Mrs. McMennamy has given me permission to share with you a Valentine’s Day card that Mr. McMennamy had composed two years ago when he was unable to go to the store to purchase a card.

Dear Sarah,

I have never been a poet or good at penmanship or spelling. I was usually the first to sit down in a spelling bee. But I have always wanted to write about how much you mean to me. Being married to the most beautiful woman in the world, a Christian and one who lives it in every way, is far more than I deserve. Our married life has been the greatest thing that could have happened to me, and I hope for you too. No regrets and a constant reminder of how great my life has been. I have always gotten a thrill when you walk into the room and I always will.

All my love,

Dale

Guys, take a lesson from a man who had been married sixty-seven years at the time of the writing of this Valentine’s Day card! I think of Mr. McMennamy when I read Paul’s command in Ephesians 5:25, “Husbands, love your wife as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.”

Mr. McMennamy was a giant in my eyes. He was larger than life to me. He was an adventurer, an engineer and an entrepreneur. He was a kind and gentle man. He was an artist in wood and machinery, a true craftsman. Most of all, to me, he was a man that lived out his faith in Christ daily.

As Sheldon Van Auken said to C.S. Lewis said on the streets of Oxford, England at their parting. “Christians never have to say ‘Goodbye”, just ‘See you later.”

To paraphrase what St. Paul says in Phillipians 1:3, “I thank my God in all of my remembrances of you, Mr. McMennamy.” I will see you later.

What a remarkable man! What a remarkable life!

MINISTRY NEWS:
I am continuing to minister to men on an individual basis on issues of marriage and family, employment, and interpersonal relations. Additionally, I continue to network with people to bring them together in mutually beneficial ways.

I continue to facilitate three different (and diverse) groups during the week and will start another breakfast meeting at the first of next month.

Are you interested in either a couples retreat or men’s retreat or father, grandfather/son, grandson retreat to Montana this summer? There would be fly-fishing, hiking and sight-seeing around Glacier National Park. The trip would be approximately five to seven days in length. We would have daily devotionals. Let me know a.s.a.p. of your interest by calling me at 678-986-4814.