Dad Rode Donkeys to Heaven

My wife in a manger with a donkey.

           I was scheduled to speak to a group of people on a Sunday morning. The venue was a church that was located in an old bar. The Pastor called me the week before to confirm my attendance. On the phone I told him: "Yes Pastor Jimmy I'll be there and I'm going to talk about the Keys to the Kingdom!" As the week progressed, those keys went through a metamorphosis.

          Studying is something I love to do at a very deep level. As I sat at my computer and typed in the words: "keys," I presumed that I would find Bible passages about keys to the kingdom of God. I expected to find the ones I was familiar with, verses like:

"And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Matthew 16:19

or

"I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death." Revelation 1:18

          Those were the verses that I thought I would find and begin my study. God (as usual) flipped my common sense approach to studying upside down. My computer search didn't only reveal the word keys but it also revealed the word: "donkeys." I stared at the computer with wild eyes and an escalating heart beat. What the heck were donkeys doing in a search for the "Keys to the Kingdom of Heaven?"

          My thinking shifted to what I knew about donkeys in the Bible. Jesus rode into town on a donkey in a display of humility. A donkey talked to a guy named Balaam about his stubbornness. A donkey was a means of transportation as Joseph led his pregnant wife to manger so she could give birth amongst animals. I know God could piece together a story about the keys to heaven through those stories. Is that what He wanted?

          The word donkeys separated as if it was giving birth to something new. Two words appeared in my mind as my eyes focused on the screen. The words were "Don Keys." I shook my head as I often do when meeting the zaniness of God head on. My Dad's name was Don. He was a church going guy who believed in God. He was not known for speaking his beliefs out loud. He avoided politics and religion. I knew my Dad was a good guy, I know he is in heaven, but was there a sermon here that would give people the keys to heaven? What would be the "Don Keys to Heaven?"

Jerry and Karen used the keys to their barn to serve others.

          My Dad was known for being a good listener and mentor to many of my cousins. They would stop by the house and bring their problems and seek his wisdom. I never knew what it was they came for because I was too young to understand that sometimes the best thing you can do for somebody is "just listen." Dad would sit and invite them in and share a cup of cold water with them. Yes, it's true that sometimes the cup of cold water came from Hemlock Lake by way of a brewery, but Dad shared his heart and his time. He gave a drink from the well of his heart to thirsty young men. 

          In my life I've learned that change seems to be a key that unlocks doors of new opportunity and personal growth. Dad did a lot of changing. He would change his method of coaching when I was in the Lake View Little League. There was one boy on the team who you would describe as mentally disabled. Tim could not hit a baseball. Tim could not catch a baseball. Tim could not throw a baseball. Tim could not run. Every time Tim came up to bat, you knew there would be an out. Me and my friends who thought we were superstars complained to the coach (my Dad.) We wanted to win and Tim could not help us win, we did not want him to play.

          Dad believed that all children should have a chance to play. One day in the middle of a game, Dad went to talk to the coach of the other team. He told the coach to have his pitcher throw the ball at Tim. In baseball, if you are hit by the pitch you get to go to first base. My Dad told the other coach that he would have Tim try and steal second base and then they could throw him out. It happened exactly that way. The pitcher hit Tim, he took his base and they threw him out. I suppose most folks who read this might be thinking: "What's the point?" That day Tim got to go home and tell everybody: "I got in the game! I got in the game!" It was the first time ever that Tim got in the game. It was like my Dad had given him a key to heaven.

          There were many changes in my Dad's life. When he worked at Bethlehem Steel and the Union went on strike, he changed his steel-worker clothes for the clothes of a garbageman. He went and worked on a garbage truck to support his family. Mom used to meet him at the back door where he'd take off his smelly clothes and she'd take them into the basement to wash them and he would proceed to the shower. He changed his love for my Mom too, it morphed into a more excellent love the longer they were together. You've heard about 2 peas in a pod, Mom and Dad were pod people!

          I can now picture my Dad riding on a donkey to heaven being led by Jesus. My Dad served by giving himself away to help others. He was willing to change his way of doing things to help others. Putting others first is a key to heaven. There are many things my Dad did to help others have a better life. Many folks spend their time talking about God. My Dad didn't just talk, my Dad was a doer. My Dad gave me my first keys to heaven. I call them the "Don Keys to Heaven."

The Reger Barn was changed into a Manger Mass at Christmas.

Thanks for your time.
Go do something nice for somebody.