I’m Joel Gullickson. A lot of you may know me by my nickname, Bob.
In Mark 11, Jesus
says “And when you stand praying, if you
hold anything against anyone, forgive him..."
For me, the
hardest part of saying goodbye to Rory is forgiving him. His life was worth so much, to so many
people. Rory made a remarkable
impression on anyone he met. It’s the
way he touched our lives that makes it so hard to say goodbye.
About 8
years ago, Rory, Pete and I took a trip to the BWCA. One day we went on a day trip to see a water
fall on the Canadian side of the border.
On our way home, we got caught by a storm. By the time we made it back to our camp, we
were soaked, tired, and hungry. The rain
didn’t stop that night. It rained so
much, the bottom of our tent filled up with water. Our sleeping bags were soaked. We were cold, tired. The rain was pouring down, it was lightening,
and the wind was relentless. The
lightening would flash and I would see the wind pulling the trees towards our
tent. It was a moment of despair to me.
During all
of this, Rory did not seem worried. Back
then, if I had to describe Rory, I’d say he as aloof to the situation. He didn’t seem to realize the severity of the
situation. Now I think he just he just
knew that everything would be okay.
That night,
we hardly slept. To make it through the
night, we told stories and jokes for hours.
This whole time, Rory did not seem afraid. Soon, the rain stopped and the sun came out. And, all was well.
When I think
back on that night, it reminds me of what a blessing Rory was in my life. In a moment where I was in despair, he was
there to brighten up the night.
I think we
all have a story like this about Rory.
He had a beautiful talent for making us feel good. It was a gift he loved to share.
In Matthew 5, Jesus says, "You are the light of the world.
A city on a hill cannot be hidden.
Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put
it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way,
let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise
your Father in heaven.”
Rory is that light. A light that shined before all of us and cannot be hidden