Rudolph Elizondo Sr. (1921-2015)
Today, my PawPaw went home to be with the Lord, after 93 long fruitful and faithful years. Although sad, we rejoice! We rejoice because although his earthly tent has passed, he has been clothed in a heavenly one that will never perish (2 Corinthians 5:1).
Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints
~ Psalm 116:15
I’m thankful for him!
I’m thankful for his legacy he has left us. The above picture is how I will always remember him, reading the Word spending time with His Savior.
I’m thankful for the way he taught us to love each other and the Lord.
I’m thankful for for the time we got with him and how up until the last day he was aware of us and knew us.
I’m thankful that in an age when marriage isn’t viewed as highly as it ought to be, that him and my MawMaw set the example for our family by being married for 72 years! (thats not a typo)
I’m thankful for his loving smile and how he always wanted the family to have fun and love each other.
And I’m thankful that I got to see him one more time two weeks ago.
Two weeks ago me and my sisters made our way back home to Bridge City for my nieces 1st birthday and our first stop, as it has been the past few years, was to see my PawPaw. When I saw him, I knew it was close, I knew the Lord would soon be calling him home. I’m so thankful the Lord allowed me one more weekend to see him. He was frail and weak, but sat there holding my sisters hand smiling, telling stories, asking how MawMaw was doing and telling us how much he loved us and how great it was to see us. Two days later as we were making our way back home we went to see him and he had a gift for my sisters, two small stuffed easter bunnies. One of my aunts had bought them for him to give away and he immediately knew who would get them, my sisters, his granddaughters, the “Two Most Beautiful Girls in the World,” as he called them, and was always ready to argue if you didn’t agree. He told me he was sorry he didn’t have anything for me, but lovingly joked that I was just the girls driver, bringing them to see their PawPaw. As we were leaving I hugged him told him I loved him, he smiled and again told me sorry he didn’t have anything for me but that I knew that he loved me; and I told him he had already given me more than enough.
PawPaw, You Gave Me More Than You Know
Here is what I have learned from my PawPaw (reposted from a previous post):
Life Lessons from My PawPaw
I would like to introduce you to my PawPaw, a man who I am blessed to have in my life and is always a joy to be around. Over the past few weeks with all the holidays I was able to spend a lot of time with him and my MawMaw at their house near my parents. Times like this are times I cherish and am so thankful for to sit with and talk with them and a lot of the time simply sit there and listen, listen to stories of how they met, listen to them joke with each other, or listen to the latest news that my MawMaw just read in the National Enquirer (she loves these stories). These times are precious cause I know I won’t always have them, my PawPaw is 92 and although his goal is to catch Moses at 120 years old, (a joke he has had for the past 10 plus years and one I’m starting to think may actually happen) he is slowing down some along with my MawMaw who is 90. As I spent time with them over the last month and began to think of their legacy in our family and what I have learned from them over the years. This is not an exhausted list by any means, just a few of my first thoughts as I have dwelled on this.
- The Importance of Faith – The picture above is how I found my PawPaw one day I stopped by to say hi. He was sitting on his spot on the couch doing what he has done nearly everyday for the past 30 years, reading his Bible, as my MawMaw took a nap. He came to know the Lord while in his 60’s as the Lord saw fit to use my dad to lead him to the Lord. And since that day my PawPaw has forever been changed, after spending the first 60 years of his life trying to be good enough, the Lord opened his eyes to His love and grace. My PawPaw was worn his Bible out since then, and every time I go by there he tells me about what he read that day. One of the highlights of our time together over Christmas break, was sitting there with my 92-year-old PawPaw sat there and told me a list of answered prayers the Lord had answered this month for him, how some people may not believe in Christ, but he knows that when he prays to Him that the Lord answers him. On Christmas he told us, “This family is built on love and joy. Love for Christ and love for others.”
- The Importance of the Individual – This may be one of the biggest things I have noticed about my PawPaw, and that is he makes everyone feel important and as if you are the only one he is talking to. If you were to come with me and my family to meet them, he would talk to you directly and include you in everything. You would leave feeling like you are part of the family and not just some stranger who was tagging alone. And he has been this way it seems like his whole life, he was a car salesman most of his life, and even today we run into people who when they hear my dad’s name (he is a junior) they ask if his dad sold cars because they bought a car from him and remember how he helped them and how he got them into the car they wanted. I’ve purchased two vehicles in my life and couldn’t tell you the names of the salesman I dealt with.
- The Importance of Being a Witness – Any opportunity my PawPaw gets to point to Christ he takes it. Recently when at the doctor about to be released to go home, all the doctors and all the nurses were in his room (see point above, people are drawn to him) and they were asking him about being married for 71 years and whats the secret, his answer short, simple and powerful, “Jesus Christ.” Even at 92, and no longer able to be out and about he is still being a witness to anyone and everyone he may come in contact with, whether family member, doctor, nurse, or home health nurse that comes to check on him, he will tell you the main thing in his life and the secret to his joy is Christ.
- The Importance of a Never Changing Joy – My PawPaw is 92, and rides a scooter to get around in the house and has to basically sit on the couch all day long watching a TV he may or may not hear that well, but you would never know it. He is always joyful, regardless of the circumstances, and happy to see you. Never once can I recall him every complaining about his or my MawMaw’s circumstances. Through hospital trips, losing a home to a hurricane, having your car taken from you, zero complaints. Always joyful, always joking around, always thanking the Lord for what he has.
- The Importance of Family – My Grandparents have been married 71 years and are still in love. In an age where more than 50% of marriages end in divorce, my Grandparents have made it through, most people would be happy to live for 71 years and they have been married 71. It’s an amazing thing to see and witness and one that the world is astonished by, leading to questions as mentioned above, “How?” And the answer is always the same, “Jesus Christ,” Christ has sustained them. My MawMaw recently told my dad that no matter what family is family, they will make mistakes but the Lord tells us that whoever is without sin to throw the first stones, so no matter what you love your family cause that’s what the Lord has told us to do. And they have loved us all well, through ups and downs their love has remained constant.
This is just some of the many things that I have noticed in my PawPaw and MawMaw’s lives, and a small part of the legacy they are leaving our family. I am incredibly grateful for all that the Lord has used them to show me about living out His Word, and loving others. I cherish the moments the Lord continues to allow me to sit with them and just talk and listen. These times are precious and whether I get a few more years of these opportunities, or they make it to Moses and I get another 25+ years with them, these are the things I will hold onto.
Nick Elizondo 