The last 30 hours or so

I've just returned home from a whirlwind trip to Evadale, Texas to be at the funeral of my good friend Shellee's Dad.

To read about the trip itself, you should check out Kristy's blog. We made an attempt at live-blogging our trip, thanks to Jenny's snazzy laptop and wireless connection.

As for the funeral, here are my thoughts:

I spent approximately 14 hours in a car driving to a funeral of a man I've never met. I went because even though I've never met him, the way he lived his life has greatly impacted mine. I'd say that's a sign of a life well-lived. I know two of his kids (Shellee & James) and several of his grandkids, and the people they are, as I learned today, is a direct result of the man Charles Gilbert was. His influence reaches far beyond the boundaries of time, location, and even death. Sitting there today caused me to examine my own life and all the ways I could be more like Jesus to the people God puts in my world. I look forward to waking up tomorrow (after a full night's rest) ready to live fully the life I've been given.

Thank you Gilbert family for being so transparent today, for being a real, living, breathing picture of faith.