A tribute to George

 I was away on travels with no internet last week and when returned I got news about the death of my best friend's dad, George Martin.  Liz wrote, "I'm very sorry to tell you that my Dad went home to the Lord this morning." Now my heart has begun another great ache because I love this man and his family dearly. The respect I have for him and the Martin's has grown over the years through witnessing and participating in their lives.  Distance seems to be my enemy as I am far away and not near as the "adopted daughter" that George and Fran (and the rest of the fam) allowed me to be in their home.... and so while away, I find I can pray, grieve in spirit, and write.

Fran and George on their Family cruise

Now George was a husband, a father, a brother, a friend...and much more to the communities around him. I'm getting one of those tearful smiles as I think about the interactions I have had with him and the great presence he carried around with him. I mean the guy studied geography in college--totally the making of an interesting person.


Through my eyes I got to see a man who...


loved Jesus and served him faithfully in his church and in his home... 

a man who....

was a loving and respected father to his children and invited others (like me) to receive his fatherly care..

a man who...

loved to sing and take a try on the instruments he knew for the love and joy of it (the piano in their home, the bass guitar at church)...

a man who...

was purposeful in his question asking and funny in his banter of conversation...(did Nick and Em get their comedic personalities from George or Fran?)

who... 

was there for all our move-ins and move-outs of college with a helping hand... 

and who... 

danced a father-daughter dance with me at Jon and Marisa's wedding because he was 'my dad' too and wanted a turn with me...

And really a lot of how I got to know George was through Liz. She just loves her dad so much! She spoke so highly of him, of the life values she had learned from him and her mother,  and had so many fun memories to share (of the 'before I knew the Martin's era' in our lives)--things like  the almost drowning at the beach video, the 80's sweatpants/short-shorts suits, the entire Martin family refereeing soccer games on saturday's per his leading, what trips and travels looked like for George and Fran abroad,  and his concern to know the facts and details about different places we were going on missions trips to--presenting us with detailed CIA world-fact book information before departures.  

The name George means "Tiller of soil, a farmer, a husbandman."  To me the meaning implies hard-worker--totally George, and relational--also spot on George. These traits I admire about him and the memories that Fran, Jon, Nick, Liz, Emily, Marisa, Spencer, Auntie Dawn and  many other family carry from him will continue to have effects and warm hearts.  One of my prayers for the Martin's is to find comfort and strength in the Lord as they come together to mourn--and hope from Jesus which can not disappoint.

 Early Christians wrote on their tombs quotes such as, "one who lives with God," or "He was taken up into his eternal home," and my favorite which I will apply now pertaining to Papa George Martin: "In Christ, George is not dead, but lives." (Heaven, by Randy Alcorn).