Lloyd Ray Smith
My good friend Wendy Leaumont’s dad passed away yesterday. Though Wendy and I have been friends for around 10 years now I never met or knew her dad. He was diagnosed with cancer around the 12th of February. Knowing that she might not have time later Wendy went to Chattanooga (where she’s from) to see her dad. She also got together some pictures and asked me to make a short video of him for the then possible, now occurring, funeral. I was more than happy to do so for her. (You can watch the short video below if you like…)
Something I’ve been thinking about a lot lately, and that this video put into perspective even more, is how short our lives truly are. God tells us that our lives are “like vapors.” Literally a mist that appears for a little while and then is gone. For me, right now, my life is eternal. As far as I know, I have always existed, and will always exist. The only experience with death I’ve ever had is death of others… not of me. For a Christian though this reality is very different. We have, in fact, already died… and we are already living in eternity. But, even so, our earthly bodies only last for a while.
Wendy sent me 28 images and 1 song to make a into the video memorial for her dad. For me, someone who had never met or didn’t know him, this man’s life is summed up in these 28 videos and 1 song. I can see he fought in a war… he was married… had children… went on vacations… laughed… fished… had friends and family that loved him and that were close to him… but that’s it. I know he is a Christian from Wendy, but other than that his entire life, all those memories and moments, his eternity on earth, are truly a “mist” to me. I can view his entire being in less than 4 minutes. And someday, someone I’ve never met or don’t really know may be putting together a holo-card video of me. As much time as I think I have, my life here is a mist just like Wendy’s dad was. And thinking of that makes me so, so thankful for Jesus and for the hope I have that my life, though not like it is now, will continue on forever with Celeste, Lloyd, Wendy, so many others and the Lord!
Here’s the video for those of you who are interested…
March 2nd, 2008 at 5:04 pm
Noel… very nice… my son and I loved Lloyd Ray, also known as Fred Flintstone… he was my son’s other Grandpa. Cork and Tim are my brothers… Gabe and Wendy are my adopted bro and sis… son Derek cried and cried over Lloyd Ray’s passing…. thank you for this… jim
March 19th, 2008 at 7:20 pm
What a connection to make. I had a similar thought when a friend of ours made a video for my brother’s funeral. She commented that she really felt like she knew him based on the time she spent with all his pictures. I wondered then when it would be me who’s entire life is nothing more than a pictorial resume of events.
Thank God for Jesus, for Eternity, and for method to the misery.
Also, totally unrelated to this matter:
Do you two just drink coffee all the time? I thought that was only Hollywood types. Way to be, man. Way to be.