Timothy Series: Grandpa
I am very much a “morning quiet time” guy. Without it I feel off the rest of the day. Spending time in prayer, in the Word, and simply with Jesus before I get my day started is one of my most important rhythms in life. I recently started reading 2 Timothy during my morning quiet time. After reading through the first chapter, I decided to go through some of Acts to be reminded when Paul met Timothy, how often they travelled together, and other details Scripture might reveal about this young man. Admittedly, my pride often brings me to resonate with who I think is the “greater” character in any story I read. So, naturally I began reading the letter to Timothy as if I was Paul writing a letter to a young disciple. I started to wonder what things I would share if I were writing this letter. Then I read 2 Timothy 2:2 which says, “And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.”
Recently, I have been reminded how little I actually know. Not only that, but most of the good things I pass on are things I’ve learned from others, who learned from others, who learned from others, who learned from… you get the point. 2 Timothy 2:2 in action. No doubt God has used me in the life of other disciples. I know for a fact the young men I’ve had the opportunity to disciple would consider me an important figure in their life. But all I’m doing is being faithful to the things that have been given to me. This is exactly how God designed discipleship to work.
In the church we like to use language like “who is your Timothy” or “find a Paul.” I understand what is being communicated here, but I want us to be careful. First, there will never be another Paul. Yes, he was an ordinary man like you and me but he was used by God in an extraordinary way that will never again be reproduced (i.e. add to the canon of Scripture and establish biblical principles for church formation and leadership, to name a few). Also, Timothy wasn’t always the young buck who needed reminders like, “don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young.” The point I am making is that we must always hold on to the posture of Timothy, willing to listen and learn from those who have travelled the road ahead of us, but we must also recognize that we also carry influence in other peoples lives. We can hold these in tension and become solid disciple makers while not becoming self-dependent.
I recognize that I have influence in others. I also recognize that I am still a learner and a listener, and ultimately, the best things I share in these posts and with individuals are things I’ve learned from others. Nothing is new under the sun. Therefore, what I want to do in this post, and hopefully more to follow, is share some wisdom with you that has been passed down to me from older, wiser people, who have walked with Jesus faithfully for many years. I hope this will encourage you in your journey just as much as it has mine. Some of these individuals are people I know quite well. Others I may only know through another person or a book, but they are mentors to me nonetheless. Whatever you receive, pass it on to another. Let’s steward these little spiritual nuggets well.
Allen Schweizer was a very special man. Allen was my grandpa. My middle name is Allen. We shared a special bond all my life because I am his namesake. My grandpa was also a deep man of faith. Proverbs 1:7 says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” My grandpa feared the Lord. Therefore, as he grew in Christlikeness, he became more and more wise. In his later years, when I had the opportunity to be in his presence or call him on the phone, which looking back I always wish was more, all I wanted to do was listen. When his days on earth were coming closer to their end, I had several opportunities to hear his newest reflections. The most special moment was several hours before he passed.
We got the text one Sunday evening that Grandpa took yet another turn for the worse. In bed that night my wife said to me, “Eric, you should try and see him one more time.” Monday morning I woke up and drove four hours to spend 15 or 20 minutes with him. I got back in my van (which used to belong to him) and drove the same four hours back home. Tuesday morning I woke up to a text that said Grandpa was with Jesus. Eight hours of driving to spend a few moment with my grandpa. I’d do it again in a heartbeat.
Although his health was failing, and his life was fading away before my eyes, he had just enough strength and memory to speak some words to me. I knew these were my last moments. Through tears, I asked him, “Grandpa, what last words would you like to share with me?” He chuckled. Then a few moments passed by and I thought maybe he had fallen back to sleep. Then he spoke. And this is what he said.
“Keep loving Jesus. He’s the only hope we have. Without any question.”
Simple? Yes. Profound? No doubt. Life-giving? Let me explain. You see, my Grandpa’s favorite bible verse over his final five or six years, maybe more, was John 6:63, “The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life.” I have this verse memorized not because I have read it over and over again myself, but because my grandpa has shared it with me over and over again. My grandpa meditated on this verse and others countless times in his final years. Therefore, when he spoke, he spoke life. When he said his final words to me, they carried a weight to them. The canon of Scripture is closed, but the Spirit still speaks through us. And I believe the Spirit spoke through my grandpa that day. David said in Psalm 1, “Blessed is the one… whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night.” My grandpa was a blessed man because he lived this truth out. What he shared with me hours before he passed will remain in me the rest of my life. I will share them with my kids.
Paul said to Timothy earlier in his letter, “I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also” (2 Timothy 1:5). True faith lived out in ordinary people is often passed down for generations. The faith in my grandpa was given to my mom. This same faith is now alive in me. I don’t keep it to myself. I pray that it will continue to pass down this family line.
We should all take the posture of Timothy. There are men and women out there with unbelievable wisdom. Those of you that are young like me, let’s put ourselves in close proximity to them with ears ready to listen. You never know when you will be given a spiritual nugget that you can feast on for the rest of your life.
“Keep loving Jesus. He’s the only hope we have. Without any question.” - Allen Schweizer
