“Do you fear the force of the wind, the slash of the rain? Go face them and fight them, be 
savage again. Go hungry and cold like the wolf, go wade like the crane. The palms of your hand will thicken, the skin of your cheek will tan. You’ll grow ragged and weary and swarthy…but you’ll walk like a man.” Hamlin Garland
This poem was introduced to me early in my adult life by a good man who I’m honored to call my father-in-law, James Knight. He was a man who loved God, served the family and truly understood how to walk like a man. But Jim was more than just a swarthy man. He didn’t fear the wind and rain, but accepted them as God’s creation. And though he knew what it was like to wade like a crane, he was more interested in walking with God. And…I will never forget the strength in his hands. Even as the last years of his life was crippled by Parkinson’s, he maintained a strong grip on life.
Born and raised in Colorado, Jim taught me more about understanding and appreciating God’s creation than I would have ever imagined. His love for God’s handiwork was manifested throughout his life. From hunting the Colorado Rockies to driving the golf range, Jim loved the great outdoors. But the true joy of his life, next to his love for his family, was living and serving his heavenly Father. God was the source of his life. Jim made heaven his priority for each and every step of his life. His priority, even when his steps failed him, was to walk like a man of God.
And as a faithful man of God, Jim served more than 25 years as an elder in the Lord’s church. He would lead the congregation with his teaching and when necessary, preaching or song leading. Walking like a man in the Kingdom of God, perhaps one of the things I will miss most is his strong bass voice. He loved to sing praises to God, and he used that deep voice God gave him to praise and admonish the Lord’s church. I can still hear his voice thunder through the chorus as we sang; “There is a God…He is alive…In Him we live…and we survive.”
On Saturday night, July 18th at 8:30 MST, surrounded by his wife and children, his last steps led him home. He never faltered in his faith, and he always stood strong in his devotion to God. We will miss him in this family, but the legacy he gave us will provide a direction that follows faithfully the word of God. And it is from God’s word that he often recited the words found in 3rd John 1:4… “I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth.” Jim, thank you for walking like a man, your children will follow your lead.