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goodbye Andy Griffith


Proverbs 2:21 (NLT)
For only the godly will live in the land, and those with integrity will remain in it.

Andy Griffith portrayed Sheriff Andy
Taylor in the show named for him.
Those were the days.  You hear the whistling and know that Andy and Opie have their fishing poles and are headed out once again.  Andy Griffith was the show that many of our grandparents watched and enjoyed long before color TV or the Internet and thousands of other things we consider advances.

I live in southwest Virginia where Mayberry is not very far away.  In fact, the show and Mayberry are patterned after the town of Mt. Airy, North Carolina.  The show shared the happenings of small town, simple life, and each episode dealt with various aspects of life that you and I have experienced.  It was simple yet profound in so many ways.  Sheriff Taylor, Andy’s character, wasn’t afraid to handle big problems or difficult people.

This past week we turned on the TV and saw on FaceBook that this legend had died.  Andy Griffith was and is a legend.  His faith was clear and simple.  Nothing could have been and still can’t be found in his proverbial closet because Andy lived a life of integrity and shared his faith with others.  His faith went from the screen of the TV and all through his personal life.

My kids didn’t know much of Mayberry until we watched a few of the episodes last week.  They were simple and fun.  They had morals and a story that could help you win in life.

We need more Andy Griffiths.  We need men who are willing to stand up and share with others what faith looks like and how faith responds to any situation.  This is a man who puts his arm around his kid and speaks the truth in love and disciplines with a strong hand if needed. 

Andy, you will be missed, but you have left much for generations to learn from.  I am grateful for the lessons.  I am grateful for the memories, and now it is time to share Andy Griffith with others.

Here are some quotes from Andy himself:

I was baptized alongside my mother when I was 8 years old. Since then I have tried to walk a Christian life. And now that I'm getting older I realize that I'm walking even closer with my God.

“Well, do a good day's work and act like somebody.”

You know when you're young you think you will always be. As you become more fragile, you reflect and you realize how much comfort can come from the past. Hymns can carry you into the future.

May we learn much from great men like Andy Griffith and others you and I have come across in our lives that have left a mark for God.  Let’s leave these kind of marks on others as we live for God.

Hebrews 11:6 (NLT)
And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.

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