Sorry for the delay in posting. These past few months have been pretty hectic leading up to the death of my father 3.5 weeks ago on April 6th. Dad passed peacefully after a long bout with cancer. Ashley, my daughter, was able to sing with my sister and her cousin for about the last half hour of dad’s life here on earth. Dad left this life listening to “I Can Only Imagine” being played on an I-pod and I can imagine him entering singing, “I want to See Jesus, the one who died for me” ( title: “I bowed On My Knees”). Mom and Dad both wanted me to read the post that I put here on my blog about Dad and his continued desire to learn June 22, 2010. It was a pleasure to do so. Dad’s Memorial Service was a celebration of his life well lived.
I saw my Mom as she walked through this valley with such grace and faith. Yes she had tears and it is obvious that she misses Dad, but she taught me how to go through life’s most difficult struggles hand in hand with her Savior. I was amazed with my Mom. After Dad passed away shortly after mid-night, we called hospice to come and to officially pronounce his death. After the nurse came and completed her tasks, we were all waiting for the funeral home to come and take Dad’s body for funeral preparations, and what did we all see? Mom sitting and witnessing to the nurse in the corner!
I am so thankful for the legacy that my parents have left me. Dad was in full time ministry for over 42 years and Mom was his helpmate. They partnered together in life to spread the gospel and minister to others. The number of lives that both Mom and Dad touched over the years for the Lord is innumerable. There are men and their families, now in full time ministry. There are countless people across this nation and even the world that are much stronger Christians in part due to the ministry of these two faithful servants of God.
This is the legacy I and my siblings are being left. I am so thankful that my children have been able to get to know my parents more fully over the past few years since they moved to town in September of 2009. I want my children to be left with a strong faithful legacy as well from both Sherry and I. This leaves me with the question that I ask myself, that I ask of you. What am I doing, what are you doing to leave a godly and faithful legacy? Are we living our lives each day to the fullest for the Lord or is service to our King, our Lord, our Savior an afterthought? Do we compartmentalize our faith? This question leads us into our next study in Ephesians chapter four. What is our vocation?
I trust that you will come back and continue with me in my study of the book of Ephesians.
Faith of a Father 
May 2, 2011 at 8:02 AM
Thanks for posting Mr. Schnarr. Quite the challenge – “what are you doing in terms of building a godly legacy”. I guess, whether we want to or not, we are building a legacy of some kind or another just because children will inherit whatever seeds you have sown. Sure makes you consider priorities when you think about that fact.
May 3, 2011 at 7:16 AM
Donn, thank you for this excellent, heart felt post. Mom and I were blessed to watch the way Sherry and you sacrificial gave of yourself to minister to your parents and meet their every need the best that you could. The example you have left for your children is a legacy and their willing participation in loving and at time difficult care shows that they are each “getting” what you parents passed down to you and now you are passing down to them. I would be transparent in saying this was all a great comfort to mom and me as we watched the grace of God lived out in the Schnarr family over the past year. Your parents are true giants of the faith and one of the greatest blessing of our lives was the privilege of giving our precious Sherry to you. It was the right decision and it has paid us twenty years of blessings! We are honored to share children (Donn and Sherry) and grandchildren (Ashley, Tyler, Amber, Trent, Trey) with your parents! Thank you for taking the time to write this blog. I am sure it will bless many!!! Love to you our son. Dad & Mom