The Official Russell Groff Story

This is a picture of Russell with his silver trumpet that I talked about in the Official Russell Groff Story. I wanted to share this beautiful picture of Russell with everyone.
               

Russell was a young man who was so blessed with many talents. He could play musical instruments and he had a beautiful singing voice.

One of  the talents I loved about Russell, besides his musical talents, was his ability to make everyone laugh. It takes someone really special to bring laughter to a person’s heart.  We believe Russell is happy in Heaven, and there he is laughing and praising God.

Russell had a path to follow here on earth, but he took a tragic detour. We feel Russell is forgiven of his sins, and the path the followed. None of us are free of sin, but by his blood we are forgiven.

Sometimes, I try to imagine what Heaven is like and what Russell is doing up there. I feel like he has met all of his loved ones that have gone on before, and they are all rejoicing together.

I believe the music in Heaven will be like nothing we have ever heard before. I don’t think any one of us could ever fathom what we will hear in Heaven.

In a lot of the old hymns, we hear about praising God with singing and shouting. A couple parts of the old hymns I can think of right now are, “When the trumpet of the Lord shall sound and time shall be no more,” When we all get to Heaven, we will sing and shout the Victory.” There are many more of these great hymns. Throughout the Bible, it speaks of singing and musical instruments to praise God.

I have heard Russell play, “Amazing Grace” on his trumpet, so when we found out where they buried our son, we took the radio there, and played a tape of“Amazing Grace” on the bag pipes at his grave. I play music for him all the time at his grave, he always loved Christian music, but I don’t know what he listened to after he got into this lifestyle. I want to talk more about his burial later.

This was a tribute I know he would have liked, as they played “Amazing Grace” on the real bag pipes at his graduation from Maryville College. He really liked the bag pipes, and “Amazing Grace” was one of his favorite songs. This is one of my favorite old hymns. Knowing  about God’s Amazing Grace, is what has helped carry me through all of this. 

Soon, we will see Russell in Heaven, and I am sure God will have a beautiful silver trumpet for him to be playing……..

Lowell and Carolyn Groff                                                   

1 Chronicles 13:8 And David and all Israel played before God with all their might, and with singing, and with harps, and with psalteries, and with timbrels, and with cymbals, and with trumpets.

Numbers 10-1-2  Verse 1, And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
Verse 2, Make thee two trumpets of silver; of a whole piece shalt thou make them: that thou mayest use them for the calling of the assembly, and for the journeying of the camps.

These verses make me think of a young man who plays a silver trumpet in the band at church, and I set and cry, thinking this could be my son serving God this way, with his talents………….(This was when he was in the lifestyle, before he died.)

The above picture was made by Professional Photography Services , Knoxville, TN (released copyright) 
Enlargement and enhancement  by Thompson Photo, Knoxville, Tn.