missed the plane/ part 8

missed the plane/ part 8

fiction
Edward w Pritchard


Pastor Billington:
Thank you for allowing me to preach today at the funeral of Edward w Pritchard Sr. Thank you for visiting our church the Baptist temple.

Yesterday a man walked on the Moon for the first time; the day before that Mr. Pritchard passed from this world.

American astronauts took a few a tentative steps on the cold rocks of the Moon. Today this is hailed as a great accomplishment.

But what accomplishment is there without the grace of God?

Mr. Pritchard graduated from Morgantown High School in West Virginia at age sixteen.  He was second in his class. His sister Megan who was a year older than Ed was first in the class. Ed graduated early but his sister and friend Megan was valedictorian; who had the better accomplishment?

The next year both Megan and Ed were at Morgantown University keeping up the friendly intellectual competition to be the best student. Megan now a school Principal in  Morgantown remembers that her brother would stay up late studying but did not like to get up early for classes.

A year later Ed was drafted and left school to enter the Air Force as a private. Thomas Pritchard brother of deceased himself a POW in Europe remembers when him and his brother Ed would fight and tousle about  as boys and that his brother was a good backup in a jam in a bar when he, Tom  came home on leave in the Summer of 1942. Tom Pritchard remembers in 1945 when his younger brother Ed was in the Pacific theatre of the War told him, Thomas  " I just want to come home, I just want to play the Piano". The older brother Thomas was a decorated soldier in world War two who was captured and tortured for his Country. The younger brother Ed went to far away Guam and eventually just wanted to come home. Who had the accomplishment as a soldier?

Lt Osborne a friend from Guam who couldn't be here today remembers when his friend Ed would play piano at the NCO club to entertain the lonely GIs back in 1944. Ed always started his set with a religious song or two before the Men would shout for something hot to play.

Nine months ago Edward finished his degree at Akron University. His degree was not in Music and he never became a classical piano or violin player as were his childhood dreams. His dreams and plans were interrupted by world War two where his ears were shot and ruined with infection and when he returned from Guam he never got to play professionally. How many of us have to abandon our dreams and goals of accomplishment because life intervenes?  John Pritchard brother of Edward remembers Ed playing the violin at age three. Oldest brother Ivan remembers their father Thomas Sr, who was strict with his sons, but played Piano and Organ in church himself  sitting at an old Piano at church in West Virginia teaching his five year old son Edward who had the knack and love for music to play piano for the congregation.

Man went to the Moon yesterday to take a tentative step into space but Mankind  had to take with him the water, the air and everything else needed to survive here from Earth. By his grace God gives Mankind what is needed to struggle a few short years and days here on the face of the Earth.

Yesterday man walked on the moon, a few days before Edward W Pritchard Sr. passed from this Earth at age 46.

Where but for the grace of God is man's accomplishment?


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