The feast of All Souls Day last week had me thinking about my Dad and all of my deceased loved ones. Is my Dad in Heaven? Are my grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends in Heaven?
My Dad was a tough guy. His mother died of cancer when he was 9 years old and his father was ill prepared to raise him. His mother's medical costs caused the family farm to be foreclosed on. His father became a tenant farmer and needed my Dad on the farm, leading him to miss so much school that he dropped out. When I'd go to him complaining of some scrape or cut, he'd say, "Son, that's a long way from your heart."
His mom had him baptized in the Methodist church. Later his grandmother took him to the Church of Christ denomination. They didn't recognize his Methodist baptism so they re-baptized him. My Dad had a mischievous side that could get him into trouble. He also could have a "hot" temper. He said he needed to listen to fire and brimstone evangelists. He needed to be pushed to the wall and hear, "either you shape up or your going to hell."
He worked very hard as a Pepsi route driver (38 years) which was back breaking work in the days when pop was in glass bottles. As if that job weren't enough, he also raised tobacco on the side. By the time he retired from Pepsi at the age of 62 he was physically a broken man. That same year, he found out he had cancer and needed open heart surgery.
