Friends
for more than four decades, Joel Gray, left, and publisher Daniel
Hines...little did we suspect that in five months, Joel would be dead
Saying 'goodbye' is never easy, but three deaths remind us of God's love...
by Daniel Hines
Publisher
America's Seniors/TodaysSeniorsNetwork.com
It is always difficult to say goodbye
to a loved one who is dying. But, I do believe that God's
love provides a comfort that enables us to overcome grief and loss.
If I ever needed a reminder of that,
He has provided yet another one as I contemplate the death of one of my
very best friends, Joel Price Gray, an acquaintance of more than four
decades.
Joel died of cancer, primarily in the
lungs, on December 21, 2003. We received word from his widow,
Yvonne, just as a highly festive Christmas party was ending at our St.
Louis home.
And, while I tried not to, I cried,
not for Joel but for the loss that I felt.
We had just been to Nashville, combining a business trip with personal
time with Joel, who had been diagnosed with lung cancer only a few short
weeks earlier. When we talked in the Hospital room, both Joel and I knew
that this would be the last time we would ever see each other on this
earth again.
My affection for Joel and his for me
was unique. It started when we met while working on the newspaper
of the 1st Cavalry Division in Korea in 1961. Joel was always a
hoot, and for a short time time, drove all of us crazy as he would
preach in his best David Lipscomb-style method on the one day a week
that we had to assemble as a central point to write our
stories.
"Serpents," he would hiss at
us. And he was right. But, fortunately, that stage soon passed,
and Joel's very real warmth and humor shone through. Joel was a
funny little guy. He always looked as though he needed a shave,
and with his approximately five foot five (or four) inch diminutive
frame, he was often mistaken for Korean, even by the kids in
Seoul.
There are many stories that I could
relate about our time in Korea, but will not do so, preferring to keep
them as a private memory.
After our discharges within a year of
each other, we continued our friendship. Joel married Yvonne, I married
Linda, and we had the world by the tail. Our friendship survived
jobs, ups and downs, the death of Linda and my misadventures after her
death.
Through it all, Joel never judged
me. And, when I sat by his hospital bed in Nashville, he was still
more concerned about me than himself. Earlier that year, my new
wife, Brooks, and I had visited with Joel and Yvonne. It was a
wonderful visit. Little did we suspect that it would be our last under
such happy circumstances.
As I sat by Joel's bed, he prayed, not
for himself, but for me and my children. He thanked God for bringing
Brooks into my life. And, when I left him the last time, he
assured me that 'everything was going to be all right.'
One of the things that we talked about
was our love of music. Joel had a collection of hundreds of CDs
and tapes. We talked about the Gaithers. We talked about
Jake Hess and Vestal Goodman.
I told Joel about meeting Jake and
having done a review last year when Vestal was with the Gaithers in St.
Louis. He thought that would be a rare treat, explaining that he
had never heard them sing in person.
Now, Joel is gone. But, he's
probably having a wonderful time now since he has been joined in Heaven
by Vestal and Jake. I am sure that there is some wonderful singing
going on in Heaven at this very moment, and I bet that Joel is right
there in the front row watching and listening.
He always used to call me when he got
a new CD or tape. Using his wonderfully resonant voice, he'd say,
"Listen, Dan, to this...do you know who this is? Do you know this
song?"
And now, sometimes in the darkness of
the morning, I can almost hear him saying those words
again..."Listen Dan..." and then by his request, hearing
Vestal and Jake singing.
Joel was a personal friend. Jake
and Vestal were great artists. All three are children of
God. All will be missed. But, I am forever grateful for the
memory of all three and the peace and reassurance that God has provided
for me, a gentle reminder of His never-failing love, and a strange
satisfaction that Joel is getting to hear them sing up-close and
personal.
Friends
for more than four decades, Joel Gray, left, and publisher Daniel
Hines...little did we suspect that in five months, Joel would be dead