A Son's Remembrance of a Godly Father
Written by Vince LaCoste; given at the remembrance service of Randy LaCoste, 3/30/2017
I stand here today heartbroken over the loss of my dad. The loss we feel is so deep and so wide that we can only get through it by the peace and grace the Holy Spirit provides. My dad believed and had faith in the kind of God that was bigger than our worst days.
My dad was the best example I have ever seen of how a man should reflect Christ's love and action to his family, friends, and strangers. I have many cherished memories of my dad. I always loved when he took me fishing in Brother Harvill or Mrs. Vices’ pond. I loved being his bird dog when we went dove hunting in Sweet Water. He always took us on great vacations and provided every want and need we had.
Like our Heavenly Father, my earthly father loved giving good gifts. He gave of his time, gave of his knowledge, and gave of his resources. I saw him many times give when he didn't have enough to give, always believing that God would provide for his needs, and He always did.
I could go on and on about all of the earthly needs dad provided our family and all of the great memories we have. We will cherish each and every one of these memories and will hold on to them with great joy as we move forward without him. But this is not the full Legacy he leaves. His Legacy reaches farther than any earthy possession or gift could ever reach.
When I was young and still living at home, if I ever woke up early in the morning and came to the kitchen to get something to drink, it might be 3:00 or 4:00 in the morning, I could hear my dad praying. He was on his knees with his face buried in his chair and he was crying out to his Lord and savior. He was praying for me, my sister, my mom, our future spouses, his future grandkids, his family, his friends, he would be praying and interceding that someone would be healed, or have a need met, or that a lost friend would be saved.
This wasn't just one isolated memory. I'm not saying that one time I heard this. This was a regular occurrence. He met with God every morning. He loved the Lord with all his might and all his strength and he didn't tell us how we should serve Christ, he showed us every day through his actions.
He was always sharing his love for Jesus, telling us a new truth revealed to him in scripture, or praying for us as we faced a challenge in life. Whenever I faced a trial in my life, he was the first person I called.
I called him all the time and he was always there to advise me and steer me with the word of God and he would pray the most beautiful prayers and boldly claim the promises of God over me. He ministered to us and others on a regular basis, always giving of himself, being led by the Spirit in all things.
I watched him many times on the deck of his office pray for people he worked with and lead many of them to salvation. Nothing excited him more than to share the love of Jesus.
Every Sunday morning I could find him siting at the table studying for the class that he was going to teach that morning. I never remember a time in my life that he wasn't teaching a class at church and sharing the good news.
Ever since Wendy and I found the spouses that mom and dad prayed that we would find 23 and 22 years ago, we have had a regular Sunday lunch at their house. These weekly lunches are where we would laugh, joke, discuss life's happenings, and stay closely connected as a family. Through those roughly 1200 lunches we have had on Sunday afternoons, we brought 7 grandbabies to their first Sunday lunch and dad would always say every one of them looked like Papa.
There were many good times, too many to count. But, some of those 1200 lunches were harder than others. Dad endured some trials in his life so difficult and so severe that without his hope in Christ he wouldn't have made it. No matter the test, no matter the trial, no matter the circumstances that life presented him, his faith in his God was bigger. He trusted in God at ALL times. Through the good and through the bad.
When our family had health and when it had sickness. When he had money and when he had none. When he could see light ahead and when it was pitch black. Dad always believed and had faith that Gods goodness and mercy would see us through anything.
He was a warrior. Never giving up, always pressing on. He finished his race well. That is the full Legacy he leaves.
Written by Vince LaCoste; given at the remembrance service of Randy LaCoste, 3/30/2017
I stand here today heartbroken over the loss of my dad. The loss we feel is so deep and so wide that we can only get through it by the peace and grace the Holy Spirit provides. My dad believed and had faith in the kind of God that was bigger than our worst days.
My dad was the best example I have ever seen of how a man should reflect Christ's love and action to his family, friends, and strangers. I have many cherished memories of my dad. I always loved when he took me fishing in Brother Harvill or Mrs. Vices’ pond. I loved being his bird dog when we went dove hunting in Sweet Water. He always took us on great vacations and provided every want and need we had.
Like our Heavenly Father, my earthly father loved giving good gifts. He gave of his time, gave of his knowledge, and gave of his resources. I saw him many times give when he didn't have enough to give, always believing that God would provide for his needs, and He always did.
I could go on and on about all of the earthly needs dad provided our family and all of the great memories we have. We will cherish each and every one of these memories and will hold on to them with great joy as we move forward without him. But this is not the full Legacy he leaves. His Legacy reaches farther than any earthy possession or gift could ever reach.
When I was young and still living at home, if I ever woke up early in the morning and came to the kitchen to get something to drink, it might be 3:00 or 4:00 in the morning, I could hear my dad praying. He was on his knees with his face buried in his chair and he was crying out to his Lord and savior. He was praying for me, my sister, my mom, our future spouses, his future grandkids, his family, his friends, he would be praying and interceding that someone would be healed, or have a need met, or that a lost friend would be saved.
This wasn't just one isolated memory. I'm not saying that one time I heard this. This was a regular occurrence. He met with God every morning. He loved the Lord with all his might and all his strength and he didn't tell us how we should serve Christ, he showed us every day through his actions.
He was always sharing his love for Jesus, telling us a new truth revealed to him in scripture, or praying for us as we faced a challenge in life. Whenever I faced a trial in my life, he was the first person I called.
I called him all the time and he was always there to advise me and steer me with the word of God and he would pray the most beautiful prayers and boldly claim the promises of God over me. He ministered to us and others on a regular basis, always giving of himself, being led by the Spirit in all things.
I watched him many times on the deck of his office pray for people he worked with and lead many of them to salvation. Nothing excited him more than to share the love of Jesus.
Every Sunday morning I could find him siting at the table studying for the class that he was going to teach that morning. I never remember a time in my life that he wasn't teaching a class at church and sharing the good news.
Ever since Wendy and I found the spouses that mom and dad prayed that we would find 23 and 22 years ago, we have had a regular Sunday lunch at their house. These weekly lunches are where we would laugh, joke, discuss life's happenings, and stay closely connected as a family. Through those roughly 1200 lunches we have had on Sunday afternoons, we brought 7 grandbabies to their first Sunday lunch and dad would always say every one of them looked like Papa.
There were many good times, too many to count. But, some of those 1200 lunches were harder than others. Dad endured some trials in his life so difficult and so severe that without his hope in Christ he wouldn't have made it. No matter the test, no matter the trial, no matter the circumstances that life presented him, his faith in his God was bigger. He trusted in God at ALL times. Through the good and through the bad.
When our family had health and when it had sickness. When he had money and when he had none. When he could see light ahead and when it was pitch black. Dad always believed and had faith that Gods goodness and mercy would see us through anything.
He was a warrior. Never giving up, always pressing on. He finished his race well. That is the full Legacy he leaves.
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