My Tribute to Jimmy: My wife, kids, and grandkids will all tell you that the two men that made the biggest difference in my life were Broadus and Jimmy Morrow. I cannot communicate the magnitude of influence these two quiet men of faith had in my life. I am a follower of Jesus Christ today primarily due to their godly examples in my life. I remember Jimmy walking into church wearing his army uniform. I was a very young boy at the time, probably less than 10 years old. However, I can still clearly see him walking into church in his uniform in my memory. That made quite an impression on me. Later, when I was in the 6th grade, Jimmy hired me to clean out the old chicken house which had been converted to a horse barn. The manure was over two feet deep with multiple years of straw tying it together. I worked 10 hours a day on Saturdays for over a month forking the manure into a spreader and then riding with Jimmy as he spread the manure on the fields. He later hired me to help him clear the land for the house he build. Following that I worked carrying blocks and mixing mortar. That progressed into him hiring me to help him as a laborer to build his house. I worked with Broadus and Jimmy until I was in my early 20s. (I also worked a year or so with Richard after that). Most of what I knew about living for Jesus I learned from Broadus and Jimmy. Their quiet example of faith spoke loudly into my life. They taught me a good work ethic, gave me building skills, exampled godly examples of family, taught me integrity that still shouts loudly into my life, told me about Jesus while we worked, and loved me! I learned to drive a stick shift in the hay field. When Jimmy had a hernia surgery, he asked me to ride his green broke horse for him. It bucked me off. He patiently taught me the importance of getting back on even when I was scared to death to do it. That lesson has carried over into later years when life bucked me off and I remembered the patient loving prompting of Jimmy to get back on. What a man! This world could use a lot more men like Broadus and Jimmy who by quiet example and loving words gently nudge people in the direction of Jesus. It was that patient nudging that has led me to serve in missions for the past 30 years. I was a young person in need of godly men to speak into my life and they were there. As a result of their example, my ministry has primarily been to speak into the lives of young people that need godly men to be there for them. I have often told the story of the difference these men made to me in my testimony to young people encouraging them to go and do likewise. When I got married there were two men I wanted my wife to meet – Broadus and Jimmy. God used them like none other to plant my feet firmly in God’s Word and to see that I could make a difference with my life. In a world loaded with Christian “superstars” flashed on the TV screens and book covers all telling and selling to us the secrets of how to live the Christian life stand to giant pillars of the faith. Jimmy and Broadus, for me, were quite men that spoke volumes with their life. They were men whose lives exampled Jesus in front of me so loudly that they needed very few words to communicate truth. I praise God for these men that made a difference in my life. Their legacy screams for us to do no less. I desire to make a difference in the lives of young people, and have committed my life to doing so, because these two giants among men did so for me, and all to the glory of God! Grant Funk Jr.
I can't begin to explain to you how great it was for me to read this to my son. Your words blessed all of us more than you will ever know.
I didn't know about you working with Dad in your youth but I will never forget you coming to Grandfather's house to update everyone on your missionary work and how Dad was so proud of you and what you were doing to further God's Kingdom.
My Tribute to Jimmy:
ReplyDeleteMy wife, kids, and grandkids will all tell you that the two men that made the biggest difference in my life were Broadus and Jimmy Morrow. I cannot communicate the magnitude of influence these two quiet men of faith had in my life. I am a follower of Jesus Christ today primarily due to their godly examples in my life.
I remember Jimmy walking into church wearing his army uniform. I was a very young boy at the time, probably less than 10 years old. However, I can still clearly see him walking into church in his uniform in my memory. That made quite an impression on me.
Later, when I was in the 6th grade, Jimmy hired me to clean out the old chicken house which had been converted to a horse barn. The manure was over two feet deep with multiple years of straw tying it together. I worked 10 hours a day on Saturdays for over a month forking the manure into a spreader and then riding with Jimmy as he spread the manure on the fields. He later hired me to help him clear the land for the house he build. Following that I worked carrying blocks and mixing mortar. That progressed into him hiring me to help him as a laborer to build his house. I worked with Broadus and Jimmy until I was in my early 20s. (I also worked a year or so with Richard after that).
Most of what I knew about living for Jesus I learned from Broadus and Jimmy. Their quiet example of faith spoke loudly into my life. They taught me a good work ethic, gave me building skills, exampled godly examples of family, taught me integrity that still shouts loudly into my life, told me about Jesus while we worked, and loved me! I learned to drive a stick shift in the hay field. When Jimmy had a hernia surgery, he asked me to ride his green broke horse for him. It bucked me off. He patiently taught me the importance of getting back on even when I was scared to death to do it. That lesson has carried over into later years when life bucked me off and I remembered the patient loving prompting of Jimmy to get back on. What a man!
This world could use a lot more men like Broadus and Jimmy who by quiet example and loving words gently nudge people in the direction of Jesus. It was that patient nudging that has led me to serve in missions for the past 30 years. I was a young person in need of godly men to speak into my life and they were there. As a result of their example, my ministry has primarily been to speak into the lives of young people that need godly men to be there for them. I have often told the story of the difference these men made to me in my testimony to young people encouraging them to go and do likewise.
When I got married there were two men I wanted my wife to meet – Broadus and Jimmy. God used them like none other to plant my feet firmly in God’s Word and to see that I could make a difference with my life. In a world loaded with Christian “superstars” flashed on the TV screens and book covers all telling and selling to us the secrets of how to live the Christian life stand to giant pillars of the faith. Jimmy and Broadus, for me, were quite men that spoke volumes with their life. They were men whose lives exampled Jesus in front of me so loudly that they needed very few words to communicate truth.
I praise God for these men that made a difference in my life. Their legacy screams for us to do no less. I desire to make a difference in the lives of young people, and have committed my life to doing so, because these two giants among men did so for me, and all to the glory of God!
Grant Funk Jr.
Grant,
DeleteI can't begin to explain to you how great it was for me to read this to my son. Your words blessed all of us more than you will ever know.
I didn't know about you working with Dad in your youth but I will never forget you coming to Grandfather's house to update everyone on your missionary work and how Dad was so proud of you and what you were doing to further God's Kingdom.
Thank you again for taking the time to do this,
Steve