Big Man, Gentle Heart: Mike Lowe

Yesterday, a gentle spirit left the earth to find his home with the Lord and Savior he served.  

I had the great honor to work with Mike Lowe for four years from 2007 till 2010. I could spend hours telling you hundreds of funny stories about Mike, and the power of his indestructible spirit. Every once in a while you meet someone who is utterly unique in their faith, filled with vast quantities of love, and who shine with a  joyous spirit born of their faith, and love.  Mike had faith, and love in abundance.  It is impossible to relate Mike's faith and love without injecting myself into his story, because his faith, and love shaped much of who I am today.  

From the very first minute I met Mike, he called me Mr. Bragg.  It never wavered even to the end of his life. We bumped into each other the other day while at a local grocery store.  I was at the register, and I felt this big hand grab my shoulder and a familiar voice: "Hey, Mr. Bragg.  How are you doing?"  I turned around and got pulled into a big bear hug.  We slapped each other's backs and that was when I felt something on his chest. "What's this I asked?"  It's a heart monitor, they found I had an irregular heartbeat.  They think I might need a pacemaker."  I guess I gasped because he immediately said; "Don't worry, Mr. Bragg.  How's Glenda?"  

That was typical Mike.  He could be in the midst of a crisis, and he was always thinking about others.  One day about two weeks ago I was going through a particularly bad day, and was feeling down.  Suddenly I get this phone call while shopping with Glenda: "Hey, Mr. Bragg, how are you doing?  The Holy Spirit put you on my heart this morning and told me to pray for you.  Is everything alright?"  I told him about a new situation with Glenda's medicines, and how I was feeling so inadequate as her caregiver." 

There was a long pause and then his sweet melodic voice said; "The Lord told me to tell you, you're doing just fine.  Keep on loving her."  It would be an understatement to say I lost it.  Typical Mike, listening to Holy Spirit even when he'd just been diagnosed with irregular heart rhythm.

Mike was a virtuous man, who gave honor to everyone.  I only saw him raise his voice to others twice in four years of working with him.  He was patient, and a marvelous teacher.  I thought I knew how to do framing until I met him.  He showed me stuff that has helped me throughout the years, and he did it with infinite patience, and joy. Mike was a physically imposing figure, but tender and soft of heart. He was clumsy, whimsical, and always filled with joy. He was a mighty man of faith who listened to the Lord for even small everyday tasks.  Anytime he had an accident (which was often) he would say; "The Lord, told me not to do that.  I should have listened."  He would often make major life corrections based upon what he heard from the Lord.  At first I would question those decisions because they seemed crazy, but eventually I would see God do wondrous things I never expected.

After the housing market collapsed in 2009, we parted ways and I went into the handyman business.  Our paths often crossed during citywide church events and we'd pick right up where we'd left off.  He would deliberately drive by my house to see if I was out in the yard working and we'd spend a couple of hours talking about the Lord.  If he saw my truck somewhere on a job, he would stop in to visit.  "How are you, Mr. Bragg?  The Lord told me I needed to see you."  And,...he was right everytime.  

Mike was a big fat, joyous sparrow, who loved to live in the shadow of El Shadai. He exuded peace, faith, and love.  At 52 years of age, he was much too young to pass this vale.  I think his big ol' heart just gave out because he'd given so much of it away to others over the years.  I'll never meet another man like Mike.  No one will ever greet me with the respect, and humility that he lavished upon me.  There will be a Mike sized hole in my heart till I meet him again in heaven.  Then we'll hang out in the rafters of the temple together and marvel at the wonders of God.  

 I never thought I'd come back to this blog after my last post.  The past three years have been extremely trying in ways that are hard to express without making it seem as if I'm feeling sorry for myself. The entire purpose of this blog was to highlight the peace that is to be found in the presence of God.  As I wrote my last blog, that peace had become harder to hold onto.  Not that it wasn't there, but it was harder for me to hold on to.  

Since my last blog post, my Dad died shortly before his 88th birthday, and right after my fetching wife Glenda was diagnosed with Glioblastoma multiforma.  Glioblastoma has no cure, and very limited treatment.  The prognosis is never good, and measured in months, not years.  So, lest I melt into a puddle of misery, and the aforementioned self pity, let me say it has been a strange time of growth.  

This blog came about because of something my wife said the other day as we were driving to Branson, Missouri. As we were leaving our driveway she pointed to the telephone wire loaded with sparrows.  "They're waiting for someone to say it's time to leave, but the line is busy."   Yep, that's how her mind works as of late.

I don't know how much longer she has.  That's a tough statement to make, but in this modern age when we can stave off death with the miracles of medicine and machines, I've forgotten the better statement.  I know how long she has had. That is the real measure.  Years aren't worth anything if they aren't filled with joy.  This was brought home to me yesterday morning as our Pastor was teaching on Matthew chapter 10.  When he read verses 28 - 31, my mind went immediately to Glenda's observation of the sparrows on the telephone line. In those verses, Jesus talks about the sparrows being sold 2 for a copper coin, and then if one of them falls the Father knows it, and never forgets.  My study bible does a cross reference to Luke 12:6 where Jesus says that five sparrows are sold for two copper coins. When Jesus says that the Father doesn't forget a single one of them, we are reminded of what he just said about the four.  It is easy to think that the fifth sparrow didn't cost anything.  

Sometimes we feel like the fifth sparrow.  We get lost in the deal, and we're seemingly worthless.  I think that is what happens when we don't value the life we've lived.  I've personally never been to a funeral where they talked about the life the person could have had, but rather they celebrate the life they lived.  So, I'm celebrating my wife while she still lives, serving her to the best of my ability, and filling her days with as much joy as she can muster the strength for.  God set this time up for me to be able to be home all the time thanks to my parents leaving me a nice inheritance.  He also gave me the opportunity to learn how to take care of someone through what my parents went through.  I'm not the noble loving son, or even a noble loving husband.  What I do now can't even make up for the many years of being self-centered, and oblivious to the needs of my loved ones.  So please don't ascribe anything to me I'm not.  I simply love my wife, have always loved her, and will love her to the end.  

If you are a young person reading this, please learn from this old man.  The person you chose to walk this life with is the greatest joy you'll ever know.  Work is empty and useless when you are used up.  Friends are wonderful, but they have lives of their own.  Your children can be there for you, and help you walk through the last stages of your life, but only that one you chose to love can give you true joy.  

So what about the presence of God in all of this?  I've discovered Him more in these last few years than I ever had.  Everything that comes with death is only possible if we've lived. I'll let you know how it all ends once I know.