I’ve never known him to be anyone except who he is each time I see him. He’s strong in his appearance but gentle in his demeanor and soft in speaking. He will rarely look you in the eye, as he does not want to invade your “space.” He never shows up at our door without some kind of gift in his hands. The gifts are often what he has grown or caught with those same hands. If it is Christmas, then the presents always possess wearable practicality. He loves to recall what he has kept inside his heart of my wife’s behavior and antics as a child. On occasion he will talk about his family, even though you can see deep in his eyes that growing up without his dad was hard, and yes, it did have an impact for his whole life. As the youngest child, two-years-old was too soon to be raised by your brothers and sisters. Few know or understand what that does to a person’s soul, except those that have lived through it themselves. Unfortunately, a few of you have had to experience this emptiness for a few years until God brought Tracy to us.

Grandpa Dave never stays with us very long, yet all of us relish the time we have with him and his brother Uncle Robert who is always by his side. I love to hear him talk about the years they spent in the Florida Keys and the softball teams he played on. As he talks it reminds me of a virile Sampson — a man of strength, but obviously sensitive and vulnerable to circumstances and the people who surround him. Yet, he has been blessed with a longer life and the children Sampson never had. I know he loves each of his girls, the grandchildren, and great grandchildren, that bring joy to his countenance. Somehow he maintains his appearance of physical strength and agility. Under that strong exterior I see a desire for closeness at this point in his life, yet a question about how to accomplish that closeness. The cards of life he drew produced a wariness that kept his deep emotions quietly locked up inside. You can see there is so much more beneath the exterior of this gentle giant.

When I grew up there was a saying that “still waters run deep.” I think about that when he is with us. Many of you share his introverted tendencies so when you withdraw or retreat within yourselves, I want you to think about your love for him and how much more you would like to know about him. Alhough it is good to have quiet time with God, you have to know that sharing your innermost feelings with a friend or confidant will help you realize the fullness spoken of in 1 Peter 5:9: “Resist him (Satan), standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. When you understand that others share your deepest emotions, you can adapt more quickly to the challenges you face in life. You will also learn there can be joy and depth in relationships as two instead of one walk through the fire together. Remember the definition of Halak and know that as Grandpa Dave loves you, the Coker family loves you — but most of all Christ loves you and wants you to experience something that never need be solitary — life in the spirit!

Thank you God for Grandpa Dave and all he brings to our family. May you give him joy and peace for the depth of love and emotion he carries inside his heart.

Love,

Dad