Papa (Earl) Bickford was an incredible man. He died today after a weekend battle with pneumonia and some other complications including some abdominal issues and kidney failure. Let me take you back to the beginning. I met Papa when I had just graduated from high school over 12 years ago. My husband and I were good friends (not dating or married of course) and he invited me to his high school graduation party. Scott has three other cousins who all graduated from the same school together. What a neat family, and such a blessing to all go to school together. They even had the same teacher in fifth grade…Their own aunt! Anyway, I digress. I met Papa at this party. He was inviting and cheerful and ornery all at the same time! He gave me his famous bear hug right away. I would learn a lot from this man…But at the time he was just a friendly grandpa of a good friend. Scott and I would go on to date all four years of college and get married that following fall in 2002. Nearly every family event happens at Papa’s house, if not the house right next door where their oldest daughter, Linda lives. (Affectionately known as Deeta) With such a large family, I saw Papa almost weekly. Whether just dropping by to say hello, hang out with Scott’s family on a Friday night, or celebrating one of the 30+ birthdays during the year, he was always there along with his wonderful wife, Nana (Lois) and the rest of their grown up children, their children and grandchildren.

The best part about this family that I am proud to now call my own, is their love for Jesus Christ. We may not be the most perfect group, but we are perfectly forgiven through the blood of Christ. And it all started with one man falling in love with one woman. I never knew how Papa came to know the Lord, but I’m sure one of these days one of his girls will tell me when we are all past our grieving for the loss of Papa on Earth. He raised his girl’s right, and through the work of the Holy Spirit, they all came to know Christ. That is a legacy that I pray my husband and I can leave behind with our children as well. Papa was such an awesome role model. None of us wanted to leave his hospital room this past weekend, as we just couldn’t bear to be without him. What were we to do now? Continue to bring glory to Christ through this circumstance. That’s what Papa would have done. As I sit here in tears, I can think of such wonderful things that Papa did and how he acted that bring a smile to my face even in my sorrow. He was always happy, even if he was hurting from stretching his body too far in his old age. He was a strong guy and darn if he was going to let anyone except those closest to him know he was in pain. Whenever you asked how he was, he almost always said something silly such as “Ornery as ever.” Or “Just trying to get into (or stay out of) trouble” Everyone who crossed Papa’s path was his instant friend. Of course family always came first, but everyone knew Earl and the family that he held dear. Papa and Nana were wonderfully generous with everything they have. They worked hard for what they have, and God has blessed them in countless ways. Scott and I love to hold our children’s birthday parties in their back yard, where kids can swim in the pool (or in the sandbox) and have a fire in the fire pit, camp out on the lawn, ride go carts down the drive or sit and talk; All in the same day or night! Sometimes there were so many people coming and going from their house, I wondered if they thought they had no privacy. I sure know that I always got a smile from them whenever we all piled through their open door.

I will miss Papa and the old life that having him around meant. I will long for our family to all be reunited with him in heaven. I know that those God chooses to leave behind have work still to be done on Earth and that God took Papa at exactly the time he had planned. Papa now has very special work to be done with Jesus in Heaven and right now he is enjoying his new body that is without suffering and pain. He’s enjoying the ultimate homecoming party with Christ and those who were waiting for him. Jesus has perfected Papa’s faith and finished authoring the story that He so carefully and lovingly wrote for our grandfather. I am truly blessed to consider myself one of his grandkids. He will always be remembered by his four daughters, their husbands, their twelve children and the fifteen great grandchildren ranging in age from 8 years old to 8 weeks old.

We miss you already Papa. What a beautiful day it was today when you left us behind, if only for a little while. I love you.

~Courtney

Praise to God for a Living Hope

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade–kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may  have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith–of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire– may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.  Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.  I Peter 3:1-9