Saying Goodbye

Saying Goodbye

Today was a sad day. Saying goodbye is difficult. I woke up early at my mom's house and put together a sermon for my good friend Craig's funeral. Childhood memories came to mind. That is when I knew Craig best. Our countless hours of professional wrestling matches. More countless hours of brutal football games on his Atari 2600. ESPN in ESPN's early days. Tearing around on our mopeds.

Other speakers confirmed what I guess I already knew -- Craig hadn't changed a whole lot. He was still the creative, fun, charismatic, and dedicated person that he always was. Rich Gannon, the former quarterback for the Oakland Raiders, described Craig as a teammate. His description of Craig as an adult was a description of Craig achieving his childhood dreams.

Here are some excerpts from my sermon:

Death is a mystery. Life is God’s gift to us. What we make of that life is our gift to God.

Living has very little to do with a heart that beats or lungs that breathe.
Living has to do with serving, smiling, crying, relating, laughing, and loving.

Craig was too young to die. All of us in this room know that. However, the real tragedy in life isn’t when person dies too young, but when a person of any age dies who has never lived. And Craig lived...

...Such was Craig’s life, extending his hand to those in need. Craig loved the thing that was most important to God – people. He simply spent time with those he loved and those God loves. When you were talking to Craig or with Craig – he always made you feel like you were the most important person to him...

...I learned one of life’s most important lessons from Craig: to dream big. Craig was dreamer. Craig knew that the size of our life is determined by the size of our dreams. If Craig could speak to us today, some of the things he would say to us would be something like: “What are you dreaming about?” “How are you helping others achieve their dreams?”...

...The only word I can speak is the only word that really matters and that is a word of grace.

Grace is what we need most in life. Grace is forgiveness from the past, power in the present, and hope for the future.

Grace is something we can never get, but only be given. There is no way to earn it or deserve it any more than we deserve the taste of fresh ice cream or can earn our own birth.

A good sleep is grace. So is a good dream. Laughter is grace and so are most tears. The smell of fresh rain is grace and so is a kiss from a child. Somebody loving you is grace and loving somebody is also grace.

Grace is the central theme of the Bible. It is how the world began and is how the world will end. God is the Alpha and the Omega; the beginning and the end. He is the giver of grace.

The grace of God means something like this: Here is your life. You might never have been, but I created you because the party wouldn’t have been complete without you. Here is the world. Beautiful and terrible things happen. Do not be afraid. I am with you. Nothing can ever separate you from my love...

...I broke a childhood pact with Craig. We promised each other that we wouldn't get married until we had established our careers as a tag-team in the World Wrestling Federation. I broke that pact...

...When Craig met you he knew right away that you were the one...You know this simple truth of life: that it is better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all...

...We believe that sin is overcome by grace. That despair is overcome by hope. That death is overcome by life.

Craig lives in two ways. He lives in the lives of those he touched along the way. Memories are God’s gift to us. Craig also lives eternally in a place the Jesus has prepared for him.

Join me in praying for Craig's family. His wife Allison, his daughter Ava, and his daughter who will be born in June. His parents, Daryl and Dorothy. His siblings Dave and Debbie.

Thanks Craig -- for being you.

I did a late night run tonight after everybody went to bed. I finished just before midnight. I ran from our house at 173rd and Harrison to 204th and F Streets. I thought a lot about the day specifically and life in general. Running allows me to do such things. 10.05 miles.