Pain...

The last couple of days have been very painful and testing. My Papa was taken off life support yesterday. As of now, all church planting plans are at a stand still, and will be until we get through this. My Papa is a precious man. One of the most familiar things that I remember about him is his hands. I can remember when he would hug me or just touch me, his hands were always so rough and calloused. My Papa always had a garden and he worked very hard to grow vegetables in the red South Carolina clay. He was always a hard worker. I remember shucking corn and shelling peas on their porch and under the oak trees. At that time in my life, I did whatever I could to avoid work. Now I understand the importance of working hard. There are two men in my life who have taught me what it means to have a good work ethic. The first is my father. He would always tell me and still says to me, "If you're going to do something, don't do it half way." The second is my Papa. His calloused hands were always a reminder of who he was and what it meant to work hard. As I held his hands in the hospital I noticed a definite difference in the way his hands felt, they were no longer calloused. I've known for a while that it has been tough on him having to sit in a chair at his home, but when I felt his hands in a less aged and softer condition, a tough reality sunk in, for some time my Papa hasn't been able to be the Papa I've always known him to be...A hard worker. Who is Alvin Jones to me?...He is a hard working faithful man. He has always loved his family and his wife, my Nana. I have had some jobs that created callouses on my hands, but right now I have a calling that causes callouses in my spirit and on my heart at times. As my dad says "Son, if your going to do something, don't do it half way." And to the man who taught me the importance of a callous or two. Thank you for the lessons, thank you for the love, thank you for being you. I love you Papa!