I have three special takeaways from my time spent with Marshall; memories bringing a faint smile. For a time, three of us would ride to and from a morning bible study in Canyon Creek. We would take the south bound service road beside Central Expressway and turn onto Falls Church, which cuts through Canyon Creek, to the heart of the subdivision; our destination. The street winds through residential lots covered with trees and no architectural facades the same. On every trip, Marshall would comment on how much he loved "this neighborhood." Finally, the inevitable question came, "Marshall, why don't you just move over here if you love it so much?" His reply was typical Marshall. "Oh, I don't want to live here. I just love this neighborhood." That was Marshall. On the way back home, Marshall would always ask to stop at a service station near our neighborhood. He would get out and buy a lottery ticket. The next time I would see him, he would tell me how many millions of dollars he had lost. I would ask him how he could loose something he didn't have other than the two bucks he spent on the ticket? With a serious expression and great earnestness he would reply, "No, John, I lost that money." Marshall sometimes saw the world a little differently than most of us. Marshall loved to tell stories about his life. One does that when one reaches a certain age. Those recollections would take Marshall back over the years in a moment in time and he would become excited. When he was excited, his mind produced thoughts and words at a much faster pace than he could articulate. He would begin to speak so fast he couldn't pronounce the words clearly, but kept talking anyway. The result, jumbled words stole Marshall's story to all but himself. Particularly, were stories of when he was a wholesale representative for a line of sunglasses, at which he was, apparently quite good. Good enough at earnings that he would go to Las Vegas. That, however, is another story. When the trumpet sounded for Marshall to come home, he was asleep. I can imagine he awoke as his spirit departed his body and began the journey to the realm of God. I doubt this time he spoke not a word. Rather, taking that journey in complete awe, filling with ever an increasing joy he had never before experienced. A promise fulfilled by a loving, faithful savior. You lucky Marshall.
