Legacy: James Albert Decker (7)

Remembrances by James J. Decker

24 June 2012

Legacy of His Legs

            
In 2 Timothy 4:7-8 it says:

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.  Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day – and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.”

Papa ran through high school (East in Rochester), setting records in Rochester for the 400 yd dash and cross-country. 

              
Every day as a child, he would ice skate.  He frequently spoke about his long runner speed skates and racing with them.

He loved to be outside until a virus in 1994 damaged his nervous system in his legs. Then just walking was never the same.

When Papa and Nana lived at 8135 Mill Road, Papa would walk up and down the hill, and would tell me that if he could pick up his legs and run, he would.  He loved to run.  He loved to race.

He never lost his desire to run.  And even when his body wouldn't allow him to physically run any more, his mind would.  He was in a race to know more about God, more about the Bible, more about Jesus.

He would study for Sunday School and would prepare pages of notes from his Bible study. 

His gift to me was his library, and as I flip through the pages, there are lots of notes that he made in the margins.  I wish he had better handwriting.

Poor Joel, has been tasked with typing up the pages upon pages of notes he has written.  Joel: fight the good fight, we will be indebted to you for this. 

The teacher was always in him.  Through his race to know the Bible, his eyes were always focused on the prize: Jesus.  He ran towards the finish line, right up until the day he died.

He was reading the book Heaven is For Real by Todd Burpo and Lynn Vincent.  When he would finish reading, he would read it to Nana.  And after reading with Nana, they would read it again.  And after, again.

              
Papa loved to run.  His legs loved to run.  His mind loved to run.  He ran so hard, in fact, that on the day he died, his legs gave way, and he fell.  His legs couldn’t hold him anymore.

Somehow, it seems a fitting ending for someone who spent his lifetime running after Jesus.