Tribute for my Uncle Roy
"Never put off till tomorrow what you can do today." This maxim bombarded me as I recently visited my Uncle Roy & Aunt Miriam in Westminster, MD. I've meant to write a tribute to
"Never put off till tomorrow what you can do today." This maxim bombarded me as I recently visited my Uncle Roy & Aunt Miriam in Westminster, MD. I've meant to write a tribute to him for the past two years but procrastinated. I was shocked & saddened by his deteriorating health & dismayed I hadn't visited or written it sooner.
Two years ago, Leroy Holmes had a pretty impressive anniversary: 50 years ministering weekly at the Helping Up Mission in Baltimore with my Aunt Miriam by his side as pianist. This is part of an outreach of the Arlington Baptist Church where he was an active member and trustee for many years. During this time, they also volunteered at the Montrose Girls' School teaching Sunday School.
If I had to pick a Bible character who reminds me of Uncle Roy, it woud be Moses. No, he never disrupted a major body of water, had a huge following or experienced any mountaintop epiphanies. Like Moses, however, he has listened and obeyed God with all his heart, mind, soul and strength. He's also been known to stumble over his words (as many of we Holmeses are apt to do) if excited about a topic. And the topic which has most excited him for more than half a century is his relationship with Jesus Christ. Shy and somewhat self-deprecating, Uncle Roy becomes animated & enthustiastic as he shares his precious faith. I recently teased him that he had been "pursecuted". This after another resident in his retirement village whacked him a good one with her purse for persistent witnessing.
Since it's now become very unpopular to speak of Jesus, I must give kudos to a man who has obeyed the Great Commission to "Go and tell' regardless of ridicule. Though like Moses he wasn't a confident public speaker, through God's power he overcame his shyness & boldly shared his faith in front of a packed room of hurting men, weekly, for over fifty years!
I believe Uncle Roy has a heart for suffering people because he has endured much pain in his life. He was born the 11th of 16 children to Grason & Caroline Holmes of Elkton, MD. A tuberculosis epidemic took 3 of his siblings & 8 years of his life spent at the Victor Cullen Sanatorium. He had numerous painful operations & ultimately lost a lung. In the midst of this pain & loss, he "found a friend who sticketh closer than a brother", Proverbs 18:24. While reading a Bible he saw how Jesus died on the cross for his sins. He sincerely believed that and became a born-again Christian. His life changed completely.
He atteneded barbers' school and plied his trade for many years, mostly at Sam's Barber Shop on Liberty Road. He was blessed with a Godly wife, Miriam Churn of Baltimore & they just celebrated 52 years of wedded bliss! Along the way he's used his many talents, particularly photography, for God's glory.
My Dad, Irvin Holmes, was the 15th of that big clan & he had 7 of his own (of which I am 3rd). One of my favorite childhood memories is Uncle Roy & Aunt Miriam's Wednesday visits (his day off). We waited with bated breath to see what treasure his trunk would reveal. My favorite was Cracker Jacks because of the surprise. Inevitably, out came his camera which was tiresome in my pre-teen years but now I'm glad because he's given us a treasury of slides chronicling our growing-up years.
These days Uncle Roy has had to curtail his service to others but attends The Church of the Open Door in Westminster as weather & health permit. He continues to memorize scripture daily & you can find up to 10 verses in his shirt pocket at any given time. This man will be 87 this year and at 55 I have trouble remembering 1 verse at a time. Through God's mercy & protection Uncle Roy has enjoyed relatively good health until recently. Amazingly, he is the only surviving sibling of the 16!
You always hear about unsung heroes these days & I thought it was high time someone sing the praises of this unassuming man who like Moses has lived a prayerful life with a humble heart, faithful obedience & and eternal perspective. Many brave fire fighters & police officers warn us of physical harm; Uncle Roy has spent his life warning others of spiritual danger. ". . .behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation." 2 Cor 6:2
Never put off till tomorrow . . .
Upload Your Own Stories, Photos and Videos
Related Stories
If you enjoyed reading this story, Tribute for my Uncle Roy, then you might enjoy these other stories.Discuss this Article
