Tuesday, September 28, 2021
Memory:
I remember going to the Appalachian region on a mission trip, and I was assigned to brother Sonny’s team. Our goal was to tear out a rotting and sagging porch and build a new one for a single mother who had a severely Down syndrome child fed through a tube. I’m hear to tell you, Brother Sonny knows how to work! We had that porch torn out and built in less than a week, and his team had just 2 or 3 parents and a handful of kids! With Bro.Sonny leading we could have had it done in a couple of days if the mission headquarters hadn’t limited his supplies each day. He certainly had a way of inspiring and motivating people to find joy in doing their work.
Our church had another mission assignment group there, and we spent the last day finishing up theirs as well! Well…it was a roof job, so brother Sonny helped to finish it up, we just ran supplies and brought water. :)
It was amazing to watch Sonny work in that environment. He would calculate complex math in his head in about 5 seconds, measure the board, draw a pencil line and grab his saw and zip! Off with the extra, then on to the next board. He would sing while he worked and kept us smiling. He really set the example of hard work. It truly was inspiring.
Before then, I had mostly seen him working in a spiritual capacity, which most everyone would agree was equally inspiring and amazing, how he could pull people together through God’s love. He knew how to also pull people together to accomplish an outreach, or activity at church and he knew once the team was together, it would be done. He would come by from time to time to check on us, and encourage us, and share his excitement about the project, and he listened when we shared our ideas, and if he heard us say anything needed to be built out of wood, it was there practically the next day ready to be painted or do whatever we needed to do with it.
Brother Sonny, I will miss your kind, God filled heart. I will miss how you made me laugh, and left conversations with a smile. I will miss your passion to share the word. Your spirit-led work, and your stories about how God sent red birds. I think about them every time I see one.
In simple words, Brother Sonny, I will miss you! Please say hello to all our friends in heaven for me!
