Welcome Home, Roy

Tuesday, April 8th, I lost a spiritual mentor. Roy Irwin, went to be with the Lord that morning. I wrote an essay for the newspaper and this is it in it's entirety:


There are a few people that can have a profound and positive affect on many people without being in the “public” eye. Roy Irwin was one of those people.
I readily admit that I only knew Roy for that last fifteen years of his life (though he knew me when I was much younger) and even then it was primarily at the bowling alley. Yet, he left an indelible influence on my life. I learned from Roy how to approach life, with a Christ like attitude, using examples from our lives on the lanes. He taught me:
Diligence. “I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:14 NIV) Just because you throw the ball in the gutter, is no reason to quit. Continue to work out your struggles. No matter how hard life is at the moment, don't give up, continue on with perseverance until you reach the prize.
Teamwork. “Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.” (Romans 12:15 NIV) When one person on the team struggles, the whole team struggles. When one person on the team succeeds, the whole team succeeds. In the family of Christ, when one struggles, it is our responsibility to reach out to them and help them along. When one rejoices we are to rejoice in their happiness. The true testament to friendship is when one person has a good thing happen, and you are genuinely happy for them, not covetous of what they have.
Remain joyful. “give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18 NIV) When you throw a split, there's no use cursing or kicking things; you look like an idiot, the pins can't hear you, and you might break your foot. Regardless of the struggles we go through, we should give thanks in all circumstances and consider it pure joy when we go through those trials. When we get through those trials, we will grow as a person in wisdom and in our spirit.
Love the children. “Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.” (Proverbs 22:6 NIV) Teach the children the proper procedures to bowling. When dealing with children, do not discourage them, but encourage them. Get involved in their lives and teach them in the way they should go, so that they will not depart from it when they get older.
Finally: When you can't see the pins, use binoculars. In the latter years of his bowling career, Roy used binoculars to see the pins. When you are faced with struggles, do your best to change your perception of the situation. No matter how distant or difficult a problem is, bring it closer to you to solve the problem.
While many remember Roy as a bowler who was a Christian, I remember him differently. I knew him as a Christian who bowled. He loved Jesus, he loved his family, and he loved children. He always had a positive outlook on life. He lived his life as an example of Jesus, so those who didn't know Jesus, could see Jesus. Though I mourn for the loss physically, I rejoice in my spirit. I can see Jesus with his outstretched arms, embracing Roy and saying, “Job well done good and faithful servant, welcome home Roy.”