“It happened again.”
Yesterday in this blog I wrote these words, hitting on a theme that is always somewhere on our minds, either front or back. “We’ve usually got quite a bit of time in this life, but then, as we wrote the other day, ‘Time goes fast on game day.’ We’ve got all kinds of chances in terms of days to make our eternal decisions, but then, in terms of our life, we’ve got one chance, and that chance can come to a sudden end. You’ve probably got today (maybe not), probably got this week (maybe not), and probably got this month, but there are no guarantees.” (From the Pastor’s Desk, May 11, 2020)
Sometimes the Bible truths that I teach and preach as absolute fact are driven right back into my face as immediate fact. “You’ve probably got today (maybe not).” At the exact time I was writing those words, my wonderful friend of over sixty years, Larry Gowell, was moving, or had moved, from this earthly life to his new home in Heaven. I couldn’t imagine such a thing.
I’m so glad that Larry had planned ahead. Larry’s brother Richard told me that he had already made his “arrangements” (Fortin Funeral Home, a great organization) but the arrangements that I am so thankful for have to do with God Almighty. Larry had put his trust in the LORD Jesus Christ years ago, and when he left the first tee of the golf course yesterday morning, he went immediately to Heaven! How’s that for “playing through”! We’re broken hearted today, but Larry’s not! His heart, which he gave to Jesus, is beating beautifully and perfectly as we speak!
Larry was as nice a human being as I have ever known. A true friend, he would never let you down, and the bigger the need, the bigger Larry was. He was a man of vision, always thinking creatively, and always thinking of the right thing to do. He was a big strong man but I have never seen him lose his temper. As a professional athlete, you knew he was competitive, but he was never mean, ungentlemanly, rude, boisterous, or crude. Larry was a true sportsman, in the finest sense and definition of the word.
Larry loved his family, was proud of his family, and made his family proud in return! The things he could do on a baseball diamond were breathtaking to behold, and his records and tremendous achievements are all there to be read and reviewed. I was honored to be the officiant when he married, was honored to be his presenter at his induction into the Maine Hall of Fame, and was honored to be his pastor. Larry was my song leader, my teammate in baseball, football, and softball, and my hero, but most of all Larry was my friend.
We have lost a great man that I love, but only temporarily. We will see him soon. Praise the LORD! "Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints." Psalm 116:15 (KJV)
Love and Prayers to you all,
Pastor