Scott’s Zesty Funeral

Good morning…

In these early morning hours, I pull out the bulletin from Scott’s celebration service. Out fall the eight small pages of notes I took during the zesty tribute. Reading through my scribblings again, the unique flavor of Scott’s vibrant life comes back in full force. Scott’s two brothers and a handful of friends spoke alongside our minister, each highlighting different facets of his well lived life. Laughter and tears flowed freely, mixing and mingling down. Here are just a few memorable thoughts which deeply touched my heart.

• You see the essence of a person when things are stripped away. Scott was humble, kind, loyal, steadfast, faithful.
• Throughout his journey with brain cancer, Scott never complained. He truly never complained.
• No matter what happens in life, your siblings are like bookends, they keep you upright without toppling over.
• One of Scott’s famous sayings: “If you wait to the last minute, it takes only a minute!”
• When I meet parents of three boys, I think, “That’s the dream!” (Maybe the parents wouldn’t agree.)
• There is no better privilege for friends than to walk with them through dying.
• We would intentionally meet once a week to discuss family, work, whatever.
• Scott was always the smartest person in the room, and his wife Elizabeth was smart enough to go toe-to-toe.
• Near the end of his life, he wrote personal letters to all his close friends and family.
• He was curious about death, “What kind of mark have I left on this world?”
• “Do not fear.” This is the most repeated verse in the Bible. God is always with us. There’s nowhere we go that God isn’t.
• Advice for his kids, four and two years old: “Value friendships, marriage, and brushing your teeth.”
• Seek a community of faith at every age and stage.
• As C.S. Lewis says, “Aim at Heaven and you will get earth ‘thrown in’: aim at earth and you will get neither.”
• Love is not measured in years, but in the quality of our relationships.

Incredible. Intentional. Inspirational. What rich, enduring wisdom Scott Edwards embodied every day of his blessed life.

Do your best to improve your faith by adding goodness, understanding, self-control, patience, devotion to God, concern for others, and love. If you keep growing in this way, it will show that what you know about our Lord Jesus Christ has made your lives useful and meaningful (2 Peter 1:5-8, CEV).

…Sue…