My Granddad, Albert Franklin Smith, went to be with the Lord February 5, 2008. He was 84 years old. My granddad was an amazing man and one of my biggest heroes. He did not become a man of God until about two years ago, when God gave me the awesome opportunity to lead him to Christ. Before this time, God had used so many situations to get my granddad's attention.
My granddad was beaten several times as a teenager because he tried to protect his mother from his father. There were several times that granddad was beaten just short of death. He was also shot at by his father for deciding to marry my grandmother. God saved him.
My granddad was a radio operator in the army air force during World War II. He told me of one distinct instance where he could have died. All of his buddies had gotten onto a helicopter to travel to the bomb sites (Hiroshima and Nagasaki). At the last minute, my granddad was called back to duty. Later, my granddad discovered that the helicopter had gone down and there were no survivors found. That could have been my granddad.
He was having some health problems about 14 years ago, when the doctors discovered an annurism the size of a grapefruit in my granddad's abdominal cavity. The doctors said that if this had errupted, my granddad would not have survived. God saved him.
The weekend before my grandparent's 50th wedding anniversary, a tree fell on their house, but there is more to the story. My granddad had been sitting in the rocking chair on their back porch when he realized the lid was off of the dog food can. My granddad got up to put the lid back on, and the tree fell to hit the exact spot where my granddad had been sitting. God saved him.
My granddad suffered a major stroke. A stroke that at first claimed a lot of his motor abilities, but he recovered more than any man his age should have recovered. At the age of 81 or 82, my granddad endured open heart surgery and recovered in about a month and a half.
Up until this point, I had attempted several times to talk to my granddad about Christ. However, my granddad believed that no amount of power could forgive his sins. He believed that everything that he had done in the war and thereafter were unforgivable. He did not realize the absolute power of the blood of Jesus. There is no sin too great for the power of Jesus' blood. My granddad finally realized that all he had to do was ask for forgiveness. At this point his whole life changed and it was such a blessing to me and my family.
This past February, my granddad became the victim of a nursing home fire. Thirty-three percent of his body suffered third degree burns. Right after it happened, he was rushed to the hospital and we rushed there as well. He was stabilized in the burn unit. Fortunately, the first night he was conscious and once again he was able to affirm to me that he was going to heaven if anything happened to him. He also told the pastor that Jesus was his only hope. After a few days, his right leg was not responding very well to the skin grafts and the doctors decided that amputation was necessary. He lived for two weeks in the hospital, but after that first night he was not able to audibly respond to us. The only response that we got from him was him squeezing our hands or occasionally looking at us. It was a very trying time for me and my family. We loved my granddad so much and it killed us to watch him suffer like he did. We would visit him every night and we would pray over him before we left. The night that he passed away, my parents went to visit my granddad. I had taken a break for the night, because I was having such a hard time emotionally. When my parents got there, the nurses told them that they had not been able to get my granddad to respond to anything. My mom began to sob and beg my granddad to look at her. My granddad looked at my mom and squeezed her hand really hard three times. That night, my mom did not want to leave. She wanted to stay more than anything. But she had to leave, because visiting hours were over. My parents came by to see me and tell me that my granddad was doing alright. A few hours later, my mom got a call on her cell phone and she knew that he was gone.
It is so hard for me to think about that night and about my granddad's sufferings, but I know that when my granddad took his last breath, he heard the sweet call of his Lord Jesus calling him home. I know my granddad is running the streets of gold right now on TWO legs! I know he is probably fishing in the crystal sea. I know he is spending time with all his sweet relatives that went before him, but most of all I know he is worshipping God with all of his might.
I miss my granddad more than anything. I miss his stories. I miss the smell of his after shave. I miss the feel of his whiskers as he gave me a kiss. I miss being called grasshopper. I miss him saying I am fine as frog hair. I miss his laughter and his beautiful smile. But I know that it will be a sweet sweet day in heaven when I will see my granddad waiting at Jesus' side for me.
Thank you God for the life of my granddad!
