Robert A. Mac Murchy Jr.

Two years ago today a man that had a profound impact in shaping me into who I am today was suddenly called home to be with Jesus. His precious wife continues to be one of my most favorite people in the world as well as a woman who speaks so much into my life. I was thinking last night about some of my favorite memories with Robert and Caren too and came up with so many. I even chuckled out loud thinking of some of the funnier ones. Just think... all this started in a small art room at Dry Creek Elementary School. Sometimes only a handful of youth, but always a remnant who were there because they had a passion to hear from God and Robert always made sure that we were a passionate group who had one goal in mind....to worship. I can still see Robert up there playing the guitar...sometimes fumbling his way through a song, but always leading us to the throne. On Wednesday nights there were 20 of us crammed into a sometimes very smelly and hot, conference room with an orange lamp sporting a burned shade....worshipping with our whole hearts, our faces on the ground crying out to God. These were the life changing moments that ruined so many of us for the ordinary. We came to worship and pray...when Robert scheduled a volleyball night in the summer we were all a bit disappointed because there would be no worship that night! Odd group we were!! I don't know if Robert ever fully comprehended the impact he made on so many lives.....an impact that has changed generations. There are many of us that were his "first fruit" and now have children of our own that we are raising to be worshippers and ruined for the ordinary. I like to think that Robert is in heaven even now, leading worship with Pearl and a few of the others who have babies waiting for them in heaven. Caren has done and continues to do an amazing job of carrying on the vision Robert had to see lives changed and to see people thinking outside the box. I look forward to the day when we are reunited with the man who helped to shape us...I just hope he knew while he was here how we loved him and how thankful we were for all he poured into us. I know we had funny ways of showing our love....The man that so honestly asked us one night at Youth Group to pray for his hemorrhoids...we laughed and the next week late at night we found a nasty toilet at a bus stop (don't ask!) stuffed clothes with newspaper, made a man and put a package of Tucks in his hand! We drove to their house late at night, put the toilet on the lawn with the man sitting on the toilet with the Tucks and left it there! I think Robert and Caren left it there for a while. Another time we had a brilliant idea of spreading lard all over his van....that poor van was never the same. Wasn't fun to be in a rainstorm with those windshield wipers! Most summer nights they had trees full of toilet paper and one night the police even came, caught 2 of us and walked us up to their door. Robert and Caren just laughed and invited the rest of us to come back in! What fun we had! There were also times that Robert was not going to let things slide....we still talk about the time in Youth Group when a boy was telling another one of his many sad stories and Robert looked at him and said, "That's a load of crap (insert name) and you know it"! Always keep us honest, and teaching us how to love well all at the same time. It was silent in the room for a bit after that! Oh, Robert how we loved you and continue to love your precious bride too. Can't wait to see you soon!