Thoughts on Mr. Wonderful

This past weekend I received a late evening call from my mother, who informed me that my uncle Dennis had died a little earlier in the day.  I was shocked to hear this news.  My uncle had been diabetic and was 74 years old.  He had recently found out that he had a cancerous tumor that needed to be removed and he had undergone the surgery and was recovering in the hospital and eventually a skilled nursing center.  The post-surgery recovery had not gone as well as planned and Dennis suffered some setbacks and complications, but no one expected him to die at this time.  At least I didn't.  Dennis referred to himself as Mr. Wonderful.  He was a very funny man with a great laugh and a big spirit.  He liked to laugh and it gave him much pleasure to make other people laugh.  He liked corny jokes and terrible puns.  He also liked the St. Louis Cardinals baseball team.  He would tape the games so he could watch them later and skip through all the commercials.  Even though he spent many years of his adult life living in California and Oklahoma, he remained a Cardinals fan throughout.  My uncle Dennis had become a father figure to me since the death of my father in 1992.  He would call me on a regular basis to check in on me and see how I was doing.  He was a good father himself, having raised two boys who became successful in life and had nice families of their own.  Dennis was very good at making people feel better about themselves after talking to him.  After he cracked a few jokes, he would ask you how you were doing, not to make small talk, but to really know.  It was easy to talk to him because you knew he really cared about you.  He loved to read and study the Bible and he taught a Sunday School class at his church for many years.  He was a good man of God who knew the Lord and wanted everyone he met to know the Lord as well.  So while it was a huge surprise to hear of his untimely death, there is no doubt that he is in Heaven today and celebrating with the saints!  Thank you for your life and the love that you showed me and so many others.  So goodbye for now, Mr. Wonderful.  I will remember you with fond memories and will look forward to seeing you again one day, in Heaven!