The Last Sip of Coffee: Life Lessons from a Retired Ophthalmologist

By Dr. Crawdaddy and Katie Disla

Are you lacking purpose and short on contentment? Do you feel you are missing opportunities to bless and affirm other people?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Crawdaddy Tales LLC
• Release date: Oct 4, 2022
• ISBN: 9798986398723

Dr. Crawdaddy

Dr. Crawdaddy is a retired ophthalmologist in Roanoke, Virginia. As a lay pastor, he enjoys teaching and studying the "Christian One Anothers" as a means of authentic Christian living. He also finds great reward in practicing the forgotten Christian disciplines of gratitude, contentment, joy, and waiting on the Lord. Although the Covid-19 pandemic has been a significant health crisis, so has social distancing and isolation had a tremendous negative impact on our society and our mental health. Dr. Crawdaddy believes that restoring the "salt and light" that the body of Christ provides in community will require intentional and concerted efforts by Christians to bless, affirm, and encourage others.Diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2013, the road Dr. Crawdaddy travels is sometimes challenging, but it is also filled with hope, awe, and laughter. For thirty-nine years, he and his best friend ("Peggy Sue," called Bella by a select few) have traveled the road of life together. She authored the last story in this group of life stories. They hope this group of short stories makes you laugh and lightens your load as you begin to see God's goodness and provisions through His common grace.If your life is being challenged by Parkinson's disease or another chronic progressive disease, never stop preaching to your own heart "to fix your eyes on what is not seen rather than what is seen, because what is seen is temporary. What is not seen is eternal" (2 Corinthians 4:16-18).One of the incredible blessings since retiring has been the joy of working with his niece Katie Paul Disla on two books. The first is a children's book titled Yes! That's What I Do Best, which was published in September 2021.

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The Last Sip of Coffee: Life Lessons from a Retired Ophthalmologist

Copyright © 2022 Dr. Crawdaddy

All rights reserved.

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All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com. The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

Published by Crawdaddy Tales, LLC.

Paperback ISBN: 979-8-9863987-0-9

Hardcover ISBN: 979-8-9863987-1-6

E-book ISBN: 979-8-9863987-2-3

Printed in the United States

Contents

Dedication 

Introduction 

LESSONS FROM FAMILY

The Master Sergeant’s Last Sip of Coffee 

Silly Putty and Sweaty Hands 

The Science of Icing a Toaster Strudel 

The Car on My Sod! 

Turkey Gumbo on Friday 

Shalom into Chaos 

The Great Christmas Tree Debate 

Laughter is Good Medicine 

Look Into Dad’s Face 

Joy and Pain in Giving 

LESSONS FROM FRIENDSHIPS

Life to the Full Poster Boy 

A Paradox of Faith 

Friendship on Pause 

His Name is Goda 

The Coach 

The Gift of Friendship 

LESSONS WITH NEIGHBORS

Caught More Than Taught 

Best $4.00 I Ever Spent 

Dinosaur Artwork and the New Car 

Encouragement Served Here—Help Yourself! 

LESSONS FROM CHURCH FAMILY

Let’s Not Forget to Tell Him Whom to Trust! 

He Came Up and Walked with Them 

Competent to Care 

His Left Coat Pocket 

A Winsome Offering 

The Epistle of Mr. Jimmy 

Tough as Nails 

The Church-Wide Celebration 

She is Simply Beautiful! 

Love is Patient, Love is Kind 

God’s Grace Through Reading 

The Potter’s Wink 

About the Author 

About the Illustrator 

DEDICATION

This book is dedicated to Tom and Daphne Robinson.

Mom, thank you for being the most incredible encourager I know. You have encouraged with your words, both spoken and written. You have encouraged by example as you have served others and served your family. You have encouraged as you’ve faced life with the struggles of failing health, loss of sight, and unrelenting pain. As a child, I remember when it seemed the only option left was to run away—thank you for never running away!

Dad, thank you for exhibiting remarkable perseverance and calm resolve in the challenges of life. I will always cherish our late-night surgeries in Mexico, difficult cases for which the answer seemed to always be, We can try one more thing, and your face on our trip back to shore as Hurricane Camille grew closer. These two qualities are mere expressions of your abiding faith in our gracious, faithful, compassionate God.

These attributes (encouragement, perseverance, and calm resolve) have blessed me in immeasurable ways since my diagnosis with Parkinson’s disease. I thank you. And I thank God for you.

I always thank God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. For in him you have been enriched in every way . . . He will keep you strong to the end . . . God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.

—1 Corinthians 1:4–9

INTRODUCTION

2 Samuel 23:13–17

Over the twenty-one months from March 2020 to December 2021, we experienced disruption to societal structure and fabric due to the global pandemic. Travel restrictions, social distancing, and mask-wearing have fostered insecurity toward one another. Fear of one another has resulted in a profound loss of community. The gift of image bearing (Genesis 1:26–27; Ephesians 5:1–2) through generously expressing blessing and affection has been challenged and threatened. We have been forced to be more creative in reflecting our fondness for friends and family.

In addition, as image bearers of our gracious God, we are even tasked with blessing our opponents and those who persecute us (Romans 12:12–14, 17–18; Matthew 5:43–45). This book is a celebration of the ways we communicate affection for and blessing toward others. I hope these stories encourage gratitude for the way you have been shown affection and blessing. I pray these stories encourage a creativity for expressing regard for those in your life that you have been called to bless. May your sustained efforts be resourced by the devotion of Jesus Christ (Philippians 1:9–11; 2:1–4).

In 2 Samuel 23:13–17, King David and his mighty men are surrounded by the Philistine army. King David, at a time of weakness, openly longs for a drink of water at the Bethlehem Gate. Three of his loyal mighty men hear this verbal longing. These three break through the Philistine lines and retrieve the precious water. In verse 16, King David’s response is greatly troubling. He refuses to drink the