My Tio Andy Ybarra

This is a blog post that I had on Myspace. I wrote it on March 14, 2008

My Tio Andy Ybarra

First, I want to thank you for all of the love and support you guys have given me through all of your prayers. As soon as I heard my uncle was sick, I jumped on myspace and asked everyone I knew to pray for him. He was a complete stranger to some of you, but your love for God and His people led you to lift him up in prayer. For that, I am forever grateful.

I have already spoken to a lot of you, but in case I haven’t had a chance to let you know, my uncle is now with the Lord.

When someone passes away, everyone starts to remember all of the good times they had with their loved one. Normally, you forget all the bad things and only think of the good. But in the case of my uncle, there were no bad things to forget. Every memory I have of him is good. You've heard plenty of people call their deceased fathers, uncles, and friends "good men," and out of sympathy you will agree with them, even if it’s not completely true. But in the case of Andy Ybarra Sr., there isn’t one person who can disagree when you say he truly was a GOOD MAN. This man had no enemies. And by the way he lived his life, you can see why.

Andy Ybarra Sr. was a quiet, humble man. He was a man who’s actions spoke for themselves. You would see him in his room, down on his knees praying for his family. He would walk into the house quietly after a hard days work, again, work he did for his family. Whenever a favor was asked of him (especially at Camp Menard) he would get up to help, without hesitation. He was honest and he was faithful. He was faithful to God, his wife, his children, his mother, his nieces and nephews, his Grandchildren, and of course, to his Dallas Cowboys.

This is the kind of man I want in my corner. He was faithful to his Cowboys no matter what. He wore their T-shirts and the caps. Through out his house you would find posters, pictures, and so many other items representing the Blue and Silver of the Cowboys. It didn’t matter if they were winning super bowls or if they were losing every game... he was faithful. This is the kind of man he was. And he wasn’t just this way with his Cowboys. This is the way he lived his life. It didn’t matter what you did, or how bad of a person you were, my Tio Andy was never going to say one negative thing about you.

My cousin, Andy Jr., told us of a story that pretty much sums up the Man my Tio was. Andy Jr. talked about watching sport center with his dad, and of course there was always a story of a professional athlete who was in trouble for drugs, or alcohol, or some other scandal. Sports center would mention how this athlete was sentenced to go to rehab, or to see a counselor. Andy Jr. says his dad would say, "that man doesn’t need rehab, he needs Jesus. I’m going to pray for him." After a few days, Andy Jr. went to his dad’s house as he always did, and he found his dad in his bedroom praying, which was something that always happened. He could hear his dad praying for his family, and for friends, and for the troops in war. Then, he would hear him pray for the athlete he heard about on ESPN a few days ago. He prayed for this mans salvation and for him to be healthy.

I am ashamed to say that there have been times in my life that I have said, "I’ll pray for you," or "I’ll be sure to keep that person in my prayers," only to forget about it by the next day. There have been times that I have passionately proclaimed the gospel on stage with a loud voice, only to forget how important my quiet time is. That time where I sit alone, talk to God, and listen to what he has to say to me.

My uncle was a quiet man. You never heard him on stage, or behind a pulpit speaking to a large crowd with a loud voice. But I know for a fact, that this man did more for the kingdom of God than most will ever do. If you had the pleasure of being in Andy Ybarra Sr’s family or circle of friends, than you can be confident that you had someone praying for you. You had a man in your life that lifted you up in prayer on a daily basis.

I’ve been blessed the last few years to travel across TX to speak to thousands of young people in schools, churches, and events. I’ve talked about making right choices, and I’ve shared the Gospel of Jesus. But as I sit here now and look back on the life of my uncle, I realize that my few years of ministry experience do not even hold a candle to my Tio Andy’s ministry. I think of how faithful he was day after day, year after year, on his knees praying for us. And as Andy Jr. told us at his dad’s funeral, even after his knees got so bad where he couldn’t kneel anymore, you would still find him on the edge of his bed, head bowed down, praying.

So, I now ask you all, family and friends, to be like my uncle. Continue praying for his Wife. Continue praying for his children and grand children. You know, when I found out that my Tio was sick, I wasn’t scared for him. As much as I was sad, and as much as it hurt to think of him in any pain, I wasn’t scared for him. I knew his salvation was secure. I knew that Jesus was his close personal friend. He talked to him every day. But I was scared for my family. I didnt’ know how they would respond to such a huge loss. So, please keep them in prayer. Help everyone find the peace and understanding that only God can give.

And finally, realize that God has a HUGE purpose for your life. My uncle was used by God in a marvelous way. He was a prayer warrior and he was a true example of a man of God. God wants to use you too. Surrender your life to Him. Let him use you in a marvelous way. It was only because Jesus was alive in my Uncle’s life that we can stand here today and say with complete honesty, this man made no enemies, had no enemies, and was loved by everyone who met him. What will people say about your life?