"Our" Harry

Working in a church...you never know what will greet you as you arrive....

but one thing was for sure...you could count on it like clockwork-
Tuesdays with Harry.

There he would stand....tall....with perfect posture...as he demanded a kiss and a hug...
"Hi there puddin'!"
I would rattle back with "good morning good lookin'!" and he would always respond the same way....
"Ha! Poor thing, you really oughtta get your eyes fixed."

He treating his volunteering as if he was still sitting across from a millionaire rancher over a big oak desk back in Floresville...
he had such conviction, humility....
"so many times he would say "a monkey could just about do this job as well as I could"
I assured him....no, not like you do.

No one else brings their "Old Timer" pocket knife to open envelopes- then tell you the stories of where that knife had been-
No one else greets each interruption with a smile and a hug-
No one else still wears a Stetson on an afternoon walk-
No one else says, "I needuh talktoyou" as a one word sentence,
(which could mean anything from "get me some-a-that coffee Troy or it might mean Dinah, "My Aggie Preacher, your my favorite")
No one else brings Peanut Brittle faithfully and convinces us it is good for breakfast-
No one else answers" How you doin'?" with "I'm like a wildcat!"
No one else pulls you aside, just to say, " I wanna thank you. Just for being friendly, and for being my friend....it makes a difference "

Harry knew what was important....and tried to show the rest of us as we scurried around.....people matter. and they needed to be told that.
He knew about the heart of the great Rabbis...."the Ministry of Interruption"

He was looking for how else to help...no matter what it was....Harry was there...and wanted to "help somebody every single day of his life"
Always with some words of wisdom....some completely politically incorrect...(which, by the way, were the best tidbits you could get!)
with that wonderful South Texas slow drawl...matched only by his keen wit...and that sparkle in his eye....you know the one.

Thank you Harry....for all the Tuesdays....for the Peanut Brittle....for Jar..for the time...for the humility...for being a constant teacher to all of us...and not ever knowing it.

His Tuesdays with us, are now every days with Jesus.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yesterday, we said our final goodbyes -
there was not a dry eye among men, women and pastors who do these services quite frequently.

As usual...
This was different.
This was Tuesday.

This was Harry.

Vaya Con Dios Mi Amigo...

DCC