Bobby.

I'm sipping an Arnold Palmer, gazing at Pikes Peak, and finally reconnecting with the "real world" via Starbucks free wireless and a borrowed laptop. I needed to get out. It has been a crazy week, and I am emotionally and physically exhausted. And yet at peace.

Jonathan and I left Memphis last Wednesday night for a ski trip to New Mexico with his three best friends from OBU and their wives. We had been awaiting this trip for months and thought I couldn't join the crowd on the slopes, I couldn't wait to waste a few days by a roaring fire with a stack of books, a cup of cocoa, and a slice of Sipapu's famous four-berry pie. No cell phone service. Completely disconnected. Completely relaxed.

And I did that for a day.

But on Saturday morning, our friend Dustin knocked on the door of our cabin at 8:30 a.m. He told me that there was a note taped to the front desk saying that Leslie or Jonathan Poe needed to call Ramsey. My brother. Something was not right. I threw on a coat and boots and trudged over to the lodge, my heart and mind racing. Deep breaths. Don't panic. It could be nothing. But I knew it was something. Brothers who call a few times a month don't track you down at remote ski resorts and have signs posted for you.

I borrowed phone and after a few tries finally managed to get the long distance number to work.

It was Bobby. My grandfather. After three years with an aneurysm, it had finally given way and ended his life of 88 years. He took his final breath as his wife and daughter serenaded him with his favorite hymns. As they describe it, his face went from an expression of anguished pain to a tender, peaceful smile in a second. He is so obviously with our Lord now.

Tears flowed. Partially from sadness. Partially from relief. In the fifteen minutes since that knock on the door I had crafted all sorts of possible tragedies; at least this one was somewhat timely. Not expected, but not a surprise.

To try to sum up this man in a blog post is impossible. What I can say is that Bob Horn, who I affectionately called Bobby, is one of the greatest men I have ever known. He feared the Lord, he immersed himself in his Word; even when he had lost his eyesight, he still listened to the Bible on CD for hours each day. He was also a lifelong learner, an aging man who kept his mind open to a changing world. In the months before his death, his selection of books on CD included Thomas Friedman's The World is Flat, a history of the Islamic faith, and a synopsis of modern economics. He integrated his faith with his worldview seamlessly, and I will always respect that beautiful balance in his life. Oh, to grow old as Bobby grew old! Such dignity, grace, and humility. May we all have such wisdom.

Bobby had a killer sense of humor. He loved jelly beans and gumdrops, the nightly news, Mack the Knife, the Denver Broncos, and the Colorado Rockies. He was thrilled to have a great-grandson. Our last conversation was when I called from the doctor's office to tell him that it was a boy. We toyed around with the idea of this kid inheriting his baseball talent; Bobby was offered a contract with the St. Louis Cardinals, which he turned down in order to stay home and take a job at the Iowa State Capitol building to help his family. His sacrifice paid off when he met my grandmother there in the snack bar.

And that, perhaps, is his greatest legacy to me. His marriage to my grandmother, Betty, lasted 66 years. Sixty six years of witty banter, tender care, best friendship, and pursuit of Christ. If you have ever visited my home, you've probably noticed the old black-and-white framed photos of those two lovebirds back in their Iowa courting days. Their marriage is such a model for Jonathan and me, and I pray that we can be such an example of God's love through our marriage as they were to us.

There is so much more to say. But I will close with his favorite hymn, which we will sing tomorrow with joy as we close his memorial service. When I sing this song, I see Bobby in his favorite recliner, head back, eyes closed, smiling and singing....

There's within my heart a melody
Jesus whispers sweet and low
Fear not I am with thee, peace be still
In all of life's ebb and flow

Jesus! Jesus! Jesus!
Sweetest name I know
Fills my every longing
Keeps me singing as I go!

Soon he's coming back to welcome me
Far beyond the starry sky
I shall wing my flight to worlds unknown
I shall reign with him on high!

Jesus! Jesus! Jesus!
Sweetest name I know
Fills my every longing
Keeps me singing as I go!