It’s not every day you get to read about a modern day hero of faith…
That’s why I had to write this.
April 5, 2017
Today was a beautiful celebration of a life well-lived and a life well-loved. “Is there anything greater this side of Heaven?” I’ve been asking myself that question all day and keeping myself up most of the night. “Is there anything greater this side of Heaven than a life well-lived and a life-well loved?” A great Patriarch in the physical and spiritual realm is no longer with us on this earth. Today, we celebrated some of his greatest accomplishments including 51 years of marriage, 9 children, 27 grandchildren and counting…
As I sat in the funeral with more than 400 people gathered to honor my father in law and as I later watched the recording through Facebook live, where I was joined by more than 1600 others across the nation, many of his students who wanted to be there to honor their favorite teacher. Most of the time, people attend funerals out of obligation, but even if someone did for this one, I am confident they left feeling brighter about life in every way. It was the kind of celebration and inspiration that you couldn’t help but want to give more and be more as you listened to the stories and you left feeling encouraged and grateful. These photos were taken the last time our family was with Dad. The poster board Dad is holding says, “My grandpa built this stone house in 1918.” Todd’s says, “My Great-Grandpa built this house.” and Andrew’s, “My great-great-Grandpa built this house.”
As I sat there, I couldn’t help but wish I could see a recording of a funeral in that same church, that same community, and yes, that very same family in 1992, just three years before I met the family. A funeral Bob Snyder preached for his 13 year old son after a tree felling accident in the woods on Good Friday. I’m sure that funeral didn’t have a dry eye either. It certainly goes down in history as one of the bravest things he did out of sheer obedience and the power of the Holy Spirit. His heart was full of love for the living to hear the gospel before it’s too late. He knew where his son was and that he’d wanted to be a missionary leading people to Jesus. We think he may have won more souls through his death, beginning with that funeral. 25 years later, his best friend, Mark Wagner, was asked by Bob to share the gospel at his funeral, where again more were saved.
Just hours after Daniel’s death, this father gathered his family in the living room where they all knelt down to thank God even in this darkest hour. Not a hint of bitterness could take root because they believed their Sovereign Loving Father would hold their hands and carry their pain until they would all be reunited in Heaven.
Just five years earlier, this same father had to cut his older son’s jacket off a PTO elevator shaft that nearly killed him, but instead left him severely injured. Through the years, one of Todd’s favorite topics for discussion with a new acquaintance has been these stories that demonstrate his dad’s character. He always lights up as he includes the impact his dad’s response had on him personally, especially through those two great trials. Proverbs 17:6 says, “…a child’s glory is his father.” and Proverbs 20:7, “The righteous who walks in integrity-blessed are his children after him.” Proverbs was his favorite book of the whole Bible. His life verse was Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not unto your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge him, and he shall direct your paths.” In fact, the greatest legacy he left his children was the fact that every single day they lived at home, no matter what, Dad read the Bible to them. He ended in reading the proverb of the day. As a result, the children pretty much have the entire 31 chapters of the book memorized and can draw from that wisdom automatically to guide all their decisions.
At Bob’s funeral, during open mic, many shared the greatest thing Bob Snyder did for them. Well, the greatest thing Bob Snyder did for me was to raise a godly son, my husband now of almost 21 years and father to our 3 children. I don’t take any of this for granted, but I also recognize that behind every great man is an even greater woman. Dad knew that too and made reference to it sharing his gratitude for her faithfulness the last time I saw him just four weeks before he died. When todd and I were first getting to know each other, He told me his dad was his best friend, his hero, and the best Christian he’s ever known. I didn’t fully believe him as I had never heard a grown son speak of his father that way. But after all these years, I not only know it’s true, I also know our children would say the same thing of their own dad.
Although I didn’t have to ask his dad for his hand in marriage (some of the brother In laws refer to that as one of the scariest days of their life), the day I did meet his family, I was pretty clueless of all that was at stake.
Unlike two of my brother in laws who knew him as their teacher and principal, I first met him the day Todd brought me home. Todd waited to see what his dad would say before he would commit himself to officially dating me. If he had said, “Son, I don’t think this is a good match”, that would have been the end kuz he gave his dad full veto power and more than one prospect hadn’t make the cut (I’m glad I learned this information after the fact).
The truth is I fell in love with his family before I fell in love with him. I paid close attention to the closeness he shared with his mother and the honor and respect he treated her with. It was genuine. That’s what really won me over. To be loved and cherished by Todd has been the greatest joy of my life.
Bob Snyder’s strictness in helping his children choose a good mate paid off because every single one of his 8 living children have solid Christ centered marriages some 5, 10, 20 almost 30 years later. He groomed them all from very young ages on the importance of choosing the right spouse and the sacredness of marriage.
I remember when Todd first told me his dad read the Bible to his family every single day growing up. I found this hard to believe until I witnessed it myself every single time I was there, including the morning I visited just four weeks before he died. He also prayed out loud for his children, their spouses and grandchidlren every single day. It is a rich rich heritage and legacy that will live on not only through his birth children but the many students he taught over 49 years who were made to feel they were his children too. Many of which serve in full time ministry today and would say Bob Snyder’s influence helped me be who I am today!
He saw potential in the ones others passed over and considered unworthy. He believed in them and they wanted to live up to it. Countless lives were transformed because of one who cared. As a young man, he aspired to join the peace corp to change the world! When you invest in the lives of children and those children pay it forward with strong healthy families that give out to their community, one has to wonder if there is any greater way to change the world. Although he wanted a dozen kids, in the end, he had to settle for 9. They were incredibly frugal and almost always debt free, but the meager salary the Christian school paid him didn’t go far with that many children. They all had to pitch in on the farm or they wouldn’t have had food to eat. Basically, if they didn’t grow it, they didn’t eat it.
Two of my favorite things were listening to him lead family devotions and sitting in his Sunday school class. He was a great storyteller with a deep booming voice and the wisdom he shared was priceless. He might have been poor in this world, but I promise you he is rich in heaven and has no regrets about choosing heavenly treasures! As his favorite book says, “A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches.” Prov. 22:1 I included a short video of him reading below so you would see what I’m saying.
https://youtu.be/W1alh0KBuYc
Two of my favorite Holidays with the family were 1. when Dad asked everyone to share the story of how they came to Jesus and 2. when he asked everyone to share what God had been teaching them lately.
Dad had a few close calls in the last couple years of his life. Out in the cow pasture trying to climb a gate, his heart stopped and Brandon brought him back. Many times in the hospital we thought it was the end. Mostly, he just felt so awful, he wanted the Lord to take him home to Heaven. But he told us God gave him this verse and reminded him that God wasn’t finished with him yet. So instead of complaining, he was still winning souls to Christ and sharing Him with anyone that came by the house in the last week he was here. He claimed the verse, “I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord.” Psalms 118:17He determined to LIVE and DECLARE all that God did for him. #mydad #liveanddeclare #totheend #sharingJesus
Continuation: To honor him on the new garage build the family did the following Christmas, Todd and his mom stamped it into the concrete.
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