Transcript: Uncle Max at First Community Church: Faith and Humor

Thank you. But I know one who really cares. So one day at a time, no matter what's from my way. I'm not giving up for it, no matter what others say. With the Lord at my side, I'm never alone. I'm destined to win. So step by step, I'll take it one day at a time. One day at a time. One day at a time. One day at a time. One day at a time. Hey, this is Pastor Jay, Jason LeBaron, back with you once again on my video blog, bringing you another interesting event that happened in my life. This has been a very interesting week for me. It all began when my Uncle Max kind of rolled up on me kind of fast and unexpectedly. He came and he said, I come to visit you. and I was like uh really you're kidding he didn't call me he didn't write me he didn't email me nothing he just rolled up and said ah here I am well you can't turn away family at least that's what I was told so so I had to bring Max in and and uh interestingly enough if you know my uncle Max. My Uncle Max is a little bit of a control freak. He kind of likes things his way. It's got to be my way. If it's not my way, then it's the highway, as they used to say, you know. And it's been a bit of a trying week for me because, you know, trying to take care of my Uncle Max and trying to take care of the church and trying to do all, it's been rough. And it would only get rougher after that. Jason! What, Uncle Max? I'm hungry. Bring me something to eat. What do you want to eat? I want two pork chops. Well done. mashed potatoes peas and carrots and don't forget the gravy this time. You hear me, boy? You're getting pizza rolls. That's what you're getting. Hello? Hello? How's your week been going with Max? A week? It feels like it's been six years. Well, okay, what's wrong? I can't do anything right for the man. I bring him a cola. I don't want a cola. I want an un-cola. You know, I order a pizza. I don't want pizza. I want Chinese food. I mean, the man is just never satisfied. Absolutely never satisfied. Well, did you ever stop to think maybe he has a sensitive stomach? A sensitive stomach? The man's as healthy as a horse. He's got an appetite like a goat. I think he could eat a tin can. Well, where's he at now? Where he spent the most of the whole week, laying up in the bed, sitting there having me waiting on him, hand and foot, laying in bed watching television all day, every day. Clear up all night long, and then he spends all night, the whole night then from then on, going to and from the bathroom. So all night long I hear the toilet flushing. All night long. I mean, but he never gets off the bed during the course of the day. I don't know. I mean, I'm going to be over to the church in a little bit. Do you really think you should leave and leave him? Do you think that would be a good idea? Well, he never moves anyway. So you know what? I mean, he's not even going to know that I'm not here. The only way he won know that I here is for the simple reason that he won get a snack And maybe you know what maybe if I not here maybe he get up and go get a snack of his own I mean, I don't know. I'm just, but I just, I got to get out of here. I got to, so I'll see you in a little bit, okay? Well, okay, well, hey, just give it some thought. You know, he may just have a sensitive stomach and things be going wrong. Just be careful and think about things, okay? Alright, I'll talk to you soon. Okay, bye. Sure took you a long time. What were you doing? How's Max? Dead. What? He, um... It's crazy. I just, um... I went in to talk to him, to tell him that I was coming to church. And, uh, he was not responding, and so I called the paramedics, and they told me it was too late. He had, apparently, a massive heart attack and died. I feel absolutely horrible. All I can keep thinking about is the fact that while I was on the phone talking bad about him, he was upstairs having a massive heart attack and dying. I can't believe I've done this. I don't know what to do. See, Uncle Max, all my years of my life, ever since I accepted Jesus, Uncle Max always called me a fool. He said, why would you follow such a foolish thing as a God that doesn't exist? See, Uncle Max was an atheist, so for him, this was foolishness. And he would always tell me I was a fool for accepting Jesus and becoming a preacher for a foolish religion. And he always called me a fool, and I just... I don't know. I just can't believe it. I always thought my Uncle Max hated me. Oh, I'm sure he didn't hate you. I'm sure. No, actually, he didn't hate me. I don't know if he had a premonition of what was about to take place or that his time was growing short or what, but he wrote me a note, and on this note he said, I respect the man you have become. No matter what I say, you always do as what Jesus would do. You never lose your temper. You always show Christ in everything you do. I respect you as a man more now than I ever have. I wish I could be half the man that you have proven yourself to be. love Uncle Max. So seeing you touched his life and you helped him even though you didn't think you were. I mean you weren't. You were helping him and you know and you showed him love and showed him what Jesus was about. Yeah. I just hope he took my example and accepted Jesus before it was too late. Well, you've got to take the note and think that that's what he meant by all of that and said that, you know, he was glad you were turned that way and all. So, you know, your words of wisdom, I'm sure, we have to look at it, that it turned him around. Yeah. You did good. You did good. I got all this holding my calls for the rest of the day. I gotta take care of the funeral arrangements, okay? I sure will. Okay, thank you. Keep your chin up and laugh. Thank you I get to thinking how there no place I want to leave Think about that place called paradise Where there's no reason to grieve Life down here is so brave And it's filled with such pain and grief But I'm so glad we're short time here But a long time home For we're a short time here But a long time home No more earthly cares No more having to roam No more walkers or crutch I'm longing for that so much But I'm so glad We're short time here But a long time home Well, I've heard it said There's streets of gold Inside a crystal sea Unimagined beauties These eyes are gonna see There's no more pain and strife It's just happiness and life But I'm so glad We're short time here But long time home We're short time here But long time home No more earthly cares No one having to roam No more walkers or a crutch For I'm longing for the night so much But I'm glad we're a short time here But a long time home But where it shows I'm here, but a long night home. No more earthly cares, no more having the road. No more walkers or crotch I'm longing for that so much But I'm aware I wish no time here But a long time at home No more walkers or crutch I'm longing for that so much But I'm so glad we're short time here But a long time home Cause I'm glad we're short time here But a long time home You know, when my Uncle Max passed away, I struggled very hard about that. Because all I could think of for the several days after his passing was all the bad things I was saying about him. That's why it's good never, ever to say something you will regret. You know, it all comes down to having patience. Patience, as the Bible says, is a virtue. It's a virtue to be patient. It's very hard to be patient a lot of times, but it is virtuous to be patient. And I struggled with that. After all those things that I said, I felt so horrible. Then I realized that after I performed my Uncle Max's funeral, And as I went home that night and as I kind of just studied on the fact of my Uncle Max and our relationship together and what it was all about, there came a peace about me at that time. And a peace in my heart that I just couldn't explain. I believe that peace was God telling me that my Uncle Max had accepted Jesus as his personal Savior. I don't know how it came about because my Uncle Max was an atheist. He said there is no such thing as God. The only thing I can think of is maybe my testimony was what changed his heart. I don't know. I pray that I have something to do with it because that's all I want to do. I just want to point others to Jesus. Jesus has done such a tremendous transformation in my life. I just want others to witness that. Even though my Uncle Max was tough and he didn't ingratiate himself to family members that much. Even though sometimes I would get frustrated. I just remembered the words in Proverbs 14 and verse 29 that says, He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding, but he that is hasty in spirit exalteth folly. I want in everything I do to be slow to anger and slow to wrath. I don't want wrath to control me. I want to be patient. Let's all exercise patience in every aspect of our life. A very interesting thing to learn this week. A hard episode to go through to lose a family member to understand it. But it helped me so much. And hopefully it helps you so much as well. well that's all the time I got now for my video blog this week but I wanted to just remind you that I love you but most importantly of all remember God loves you and I'll see you next time right here on the video blog have a blessed, blessed week bye everybody sometimes life's a little heavy sometimes life's a little hard to bear I feel like I'm all alone But I'm the one who really cares So one day at a time No matter what's from my way I'm not giving up for it No matter what others say With the Lord at my side I'm never alone I'm destined to win, so step by step I'll take it one day at a time. One day at a time. One day at a time. One day at a time. One day at a time