My dad (Elmer) was a deacon in the Baptist church.  It was a position of service.  When something was needed within the church, nine times out of ten they called my Dad.  He was a "yes" man.  When the church would call and say "Can you drive Mrs. Elsie to Tulsa to her doctor's appointment?  She needs help and her kids don't live close. He always said yes to the church staff's requests. After he retired, he did things like that  almost every day.

 When someone needed to go to the grocery store, to the baseball practice, to the dentist or doctor--whatever,  Dad took care of it.  If they needed to go vote, Daddy was your man.  Dad always said yes.  He had the heart of a servant. He liked to help people.  And back then, not everyone had transportation.

After they retired,  he and my mom would help sponsor church youth bus trips.  Solving problems as they arose, always happy to help.   

Everyone loved him.  He carried Juicy Fruit Gum in his pockets and handed it out one stick at a time to every kid who came to church on Sunday.

He lived to be 94.  And when he died, the preacher compared my dad to Barnabus--who was a helper for Paul on his journeys.  He called my dad Elmerbus.  He was God's helper.  That's exactly what he was.

As people passed the casket, many of them slipped a stick of Juicy Fruit gum in dad's shirt pocket. He left earth with Juicy Fruit in his pocket.

My dad was a great man.  Quiet, simple, unobtrusive, always in the background, always smiling.  Always happy.  He never finished college.  He wasn't the CEO of a company.  He never made a lot of money,  But he was a gold star father.  

God blessed me with a father who lived the Christian life every single day.  He was the most Godly man I ever knew.