In Memory of My Uncle: J. C. Isaacs

May 20, 1929 - March 12, 2008

They came to Capernaum. When he was in the house, he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the road?” But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest.

Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all.”

He took a little child and had him stand among them. Taking him in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.”

-Mark 9:33-37 (NIV)

My uncle J.C. passed away on Wednesday and I just wanted to take a few moments to reflect on what he has meant to me.

While I was growing up, if there was one place I could choose to be other than in my own home, it was at the home of my Uncle J.C. and Aunt Norma. Actually, it was like a second home to me in many ways. They always had time for me and never seemed to begrudge having me around. I will never forget the time they gave this child during his formative years and the impact that has had on my character ever since.

I will never forget learning to play cards, the cookouts or the regular meals at the kitchen table, fishing trips to Watauga Lake, and the times J.C. and I were alone for the day and we talked, whether it was over the breakfast he had made for both of us or just during the course of the day.

I remember my uncle as a deputy sheriff and as a magistrate. He held other jobs over the years, but these are the primary jobs I remember him having. In fact, the first time I was ever stopped by an officer of the law, it was my uncle who pulled me over with blue light and siren. What had I done wrong? Nothing. He just knew it was his 16 year old nephew with a newly laminated driver license and thought he would have some fun at my expense. I have been stopped by law enforcement a few times since but none have been as humorous nor has the outcome been as pleasant.

One of the reasons, I loved staying with my aunt and uncle from time to time is that I never felt second class. So many times a child is sent off to another room so the adults can do “grown-up” things without being bothered by the child. It was never that way at their house. I was always part of everything and was constantly reminded that I mattered by being allowed to participate in all activities. Never was I told that I should be quiet or that I should “go play” while the adults did “their thing.” At J.C. and Norma’s, “their thing” was always “my thing” and I was never left behind.

In this day and age, when so many people want to make a name for themselves, they often don’t have time for young children. I guess most people believe children will “contribute” once they get older. Unfortunately, many fail to realize how much children contribute while they are still children and how much is contributed to the formation of a child’s character when adults take the time to show that child how special he or she is by spending those precious moments with them.

In the passage from Mark’ Gospel, quoted above, Jesus was saying that those who want to be first in the Kingdom of Heaven, must learn to be a servant to all. He then went on to emphasize the importance of showing hospitality and love to children as being integral to serving God the Father. While we make much of great preachers or leaders in the Church today, we often forget that the greatest impact is often not made from the pulpit or the spotlight of the Christian world. The impact is most often made by those who don’t “stand out” in the crowd but demonstrate hospitality and love to others by action rather than great sermons or words that often seem shallow due to a failure to put those words or beliefs into deeds. Indeed, the greatest impact is made by those who choose to touch the life of a child.

All of us are like small pebbles thrown into a pond. At the time our splash into the world may seem small in many ways, but it’s not the initial splash that counts. The true and lasting impact are the ripples that continue onward through the lives of others our lives have touched along the way. Long after the pebble of our life has reached the bottom of the pond, our influence continues to radiate outward continually touching others in ways we will never understand until Christ Himself speaks to us from the throne at the end of time. It is then He will show us how the ripples and waves of our actions continued to produce good things long after we were gone.

I am sure my uncle touched many people during his lifetime. As a member of the law enforcement community, his life was dedicated to helping, protecting and serving. While I acknowledge that aspect of his life, none of it was as important to me as his being a wonderful uncle. To me he was one of the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven because he took the time to welcome a child into his life, and in doing so, he welcomed the Father in Heaven as well. He was a man who loved me not just in word, but also in deed, and for that, I will always love him as well.