Kevin Ferrier has touched and influenced many lives, and this is evidenced by the cards, phone calls, visitors to Family night, and those of you in attendance today.
Kevin had a trademark response when asked how he was doing, and we will all carry it with us in our hearts moving forward, and I would like to briefly discuss:
- What is fine and Dandy?
- What exactly did it mean to Kevin?
- How can one live a life in which one’s purpose is defined by such a statement?
John 15:13 says “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”
I have been blessed to live my life in a very close knit family, and having my grandparents, [Bill & Patsy (to you), nanny & paw paw (to me & a few special individuals in attendance)] as probably the biggest earthly influence on my life has allowed me to understand the foundation in which Kevin began his life. His parents (my grandparents) are the embodiment of Christ and provided Kevin with the Love & spiritual foundation required to live a “fine and dandy” life.
My uncle & friend , Kevin Ferrier, was born in 1958 with a handicap, as he was born with his umbilical cord around his neck. The lack of oxygen to his brain may have affected his motor skills, but it did not impair his ability to touch the heart and lives of EVERY individual he encountered, friend or stranger. When asked how he is doing, he always replied “Fine and Dandy”(except when snowed in and unable to help at the Moose or volunteer at the bowling alley, in this case he huffed and puffed and prayed for the snow to stop), and his spirits were lifted through the giving of his time to others. His charitable work is easily confirmed through his recognitions and volunteer work throughout the community of Waynesboro. He was a Sunday morning staple here at the Blue Ridge church of Christ, The Waynesboro Moose, Wayne Lanes, Generals Games, Little League Baseball, Girls Volleyball, Waynesboro Library and more
Fine and Dandy can easily be related to Rick Warren’s book “A Purpose Driven Life”, in that the core of “Fine & Dandy” has to be rooted and grounded in an unchanging, supernatural force which has its foundation in LOVE. Not a love for self, material possessions, or money, but the true & pure definition of love described in I Corinthians 13. If not properly grounded we will only create a lot of useless noise, and this is best described in verse 1 of 1 Corinth 13 when it says “I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.” Imagine being in a room of 50 2 & 3 year olds with cymbals, drums, and various other noisy instruments. Now Imagine all of these children playing their own tune as loud as they can! Now imagine The New York Philharmonic with these same instruments and the beauty they can create. This is what we can sound like when our lives are lived solely for the purpose of glorifying God through our Loving work to win others to him.
I would like to use the points that Rick Warren mentions in his book to better define what “fine & dandy” meant to Kevin & to bring a challenge to each of you here so that you can help us as a family continue the work that Kevin’s life has begun in each of us. Please allow me to describe this to you in 5 easy steps that you can follow in your daily life
- We were planned for God’s pleasure, so your first purpose is to offer real worship.Worship in love, with a purpose of becoming more like Christ. Kevin was a faithful & active member of his church, and his smile, handshake and Sunday greeting with a bulletin has welcomed a lot of you every Sunday
- We were formed for God’s family, so your second purpose is to enjoy real fellowship. Fellowship was at the core of Kevin’s “fine and Dandy”, and he loved being around people. Whether it was keeping score for a sporting event, working at the bowling alley running food drinks, working at the Moose selling raffle tickets & serving food, Kevin did more than enjoy fellowship, I boldly say he made fellowship enjoyable!
- We were created to become like Christ, so your third purpose is to learn real discipleship. Discipleship by example is the best form of leadership. What better example than Kevin! He has taught all of us here the value of living a life to glorify his Heavenly father, & that lesson will live on in each of us here.
- We were shaped for serving God, so your fourth purpose is to practice real ministry. All of my life I have observed Kevin giving freely of his time to so many people, and most of you here today have been recipients of his benevolence. As a businessman I would question him many times as I picked him up from the Moose or bowling alley. I would ask him WHY do you do all of this for free? I would ask him why he did not apply for a job at the Moose or Bowling Alley, as I was sure you would hire him! Kevin would always emphatically respond with a tone of annoyance, “No, no, no I could not take money for it. I love being with my friends at the Bowling alley or Moose”. As a family we had to share Kevin with you on Thanksgiving as he was so excited to spend his day serving you while attempting to keep up with the football scores. On Christmas he would be restless at home, and his greatest joy was to spend it with his friends at the Moose serving you with his smile & cheer.
- We were made for a mission, so your fifth purpose is to live out real evangelism. Kevin’s life was a living example of personal evangelism. Matthew 5:16 says “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. Kevin’s light still shines brightly in our hearts and minds & God knew what he was doing when he made Kevin, and his handicap allowed him to fulfill God’s purpose for his life
Now that I have defined what “fine and dandy” meant to Kevin I want to briefly discuss and challenge you on How you can have a “fine and Dandy affect” on the lives of people you encounter in your lives. We all are a product of Kevin’s Joy, and no discussion needs to be had on the WHY is it necessary to be joyful, as we have all personally benefited from Kevin’s joyous smile, hug and handshake.
First let me begin by pointing out that your personal “Fine & Dandy” mentality must be grounded in Jesus Christ, as this was the source of Kevin’s love for all of us here. Kevin had more than a head knowledge of Jesus, he had a heart knowledge. You must first have Jesus Christ in your heart to affect the lives of those you meet just as Kevin changed each of your lives here. Without this personal relationship you will sound just like a room of toddlers with loud musical instruments. You must 1st recognize that Christ died for YOU, ask Him for forgiveness of your sins, and allow Him control of your Heart and life
Second You have to have a desire, a real love for others, and the recipe for this can easily be understood by using the acronym JOY. Jesus, Others, Yourself. I never knew Kevin to be a selfish person, and even though I questioned his giving away freely of his time, I never questioned his heart and love for you. I now see that the laying down of his life for his friends paid far greater rewards than could be given monetarily. The Bible says, “lay not up treasures on earth where moth and rust doth corrupt and thieves break through and steal. But lay up for your selves treasures in Heaven”. Kevin is now the Bill Gates of Heaven, LOL.
As you watch this video of Kevin’s life, and see firsthand the man behind the smile, I want you to be thinking about YOUR LIFE.
What is the PURPOSE of your life and existence here on earth?
What are you doing to have a positive, Christ like influence on the lives of those you meet?
We often become discouraged because things do not go our way. Maybe you did not get the job/ promotion you wanted, your favorite team does not win, your car breaks down…, but if you have JOY as your success formula, none of these superficial and material things will matter or control your happiness. If you live your life for the betterment of your fellowman, you will always be like Kevin, “Fine & Dandy”.
So I challenge you to take a good look at yourself in the mirror, & contrary to popular opinion tell yourself that YOU do not matter, rather WHAT you do with your time is most important. Call that long lost friend & see how they are doing, hug a friend or family member for no reason other than you love them, tell your spouse you love them OFTEN, visit a sick or widowed person, take a neighbor to dinner & get to know them, and if you have children; hug them tightly, love them unconditionally, cherish every moment they breathe for tomorrow may never come.
I trust that the seed planted in your heart by our dear Kevin will grow into a beautiful Oak tree to stand strong through the storms of life, and that you would be a source of love and support for those around you.
In closing I want to Challenge you to make each day you are blessed to live one that is fine and dandy. Each morning when you wake up, take a look at yourself in the mirror, think of Kevin’s smile and tell yourself “Today is a fine & Dandy Day”. Then as you proceed through your day make sure you pass that “smile and greeting” on to each person you come in contact with.
Please enjoy the video of the life of Kevin FERRIER, and remember to ask yourself:
What is the PURPOSE of your life and existence here on earth?
What are you doing to have a positive, Christ like influence on the lives of those you meet?
God Bless you all, and thanks for the love that you gave to our beloved Kevin.