Dan Wood was born in 1915. He served in the Pacific during World War II and then came home to a career as a rural mail carrier. A job he held until he retired. If anyone ever lived up to the "motto" of the U.S. Post Office it was Mr Dan. Now, I didn't meet Mr Dan until he was already retired so I don't know what kind of letter carrier he was, but I can guess. He lived to serve others. In his retirement he devoted himself to the many mission programs of our church. He could frequently be found in the community helping build wheelchair ramps for those who couldn't afford them or helping replace roofs or other need repairs that people couldn't afford on their own. He also became a faithful member of our foreign mission teams, travelling to most of the Central American countries. He was always the first one up and the first one to head to the job site. We celebrated his 80th birthday in Venezuela. If he knew of people in need, he would be there to offer his help. He took seriously Jesus' call to help those among us in need and he didn't let anything stay him from the swift completion of his appointed tasks.
We can learn a lot from a man like that. How easy is it to find reasons not to do what God has called us to do? When those obstacles do arise we need to take our cue from the Post Office and not let the snow, rain, heat, age, or whatever keep us from completing the tasks God has given us.
In memory of Danial P. Wood
Born November 18, 1915---Died July 7 2012
