I was not aware that Dr Gounds had passed away. I was reading one of his devotionals. My condolences to the family.

I am reminded today of my brief relationship with Dr. Grounds as a student in the late 70's at CBTS on Hampden. 
My fiancee (also a student there) and I would take him to the airport on a couple of occasions and sometimes share breakfast.
One time as I was standing in the hallway in tee shirt attire that I had fished out of the closet earlier in the day, he saw me and the wording emblazoned on my chest "I love you Denver".  He looked me in the eye and quipped, "I thought we were supposed to love Jesus!", then hurried on.
Even though I had gotten the T-shirt from a local radio station promotion campaign, I was stunned by his insight.  For several years after that every time I glanced at the unworn t-shirt in the closet, I would remember his light chiding, and quietly renew my appreciation for the Savior and for Dr. Grounds searing vision into truth.

Dear Family - 

We learned of the news that our dear Vernon is experiencing the â€œgain of death.â€ It is an enviable experience for many of us as the years go by. My memories of Vernon are very special because we shared together the wedding of a dear friend many years ago. 

We thank God upon every remembrance of him and pray that God's comforting and sustaining grace and strength will be your portion. Only eternity will reveal how many lives Vernon influenced and preachers he has helped prepare for the ministry. I thank God for him and the influence he's had on my son's life and mine; as I have had the opportunity from time-to-time to be touched by his wisdom and insight.

May God richly bless you. We thank the Lord for the influence of his life, which will continue for years to come.

Every blessing in His wonderful name,

On a gorgeous fall Colorado morning, with clear blue skies, and golden sunshine flooding through the Old Denver Seminary campus on Hampden, I found myself as a first semester student hurrying across campus to the library to do some final review of an upcoming quiz that day. 

 My mind and nervous system were buzzing with thoughts such as whether or not I had made a horrible mistake by choosing seminary, in light of the syllabi shock that was still lingering, what I needed to review for the quiz, and the stress of the many other fast approaching coursework deadlines, that was now increasing as I contemplated how it might all work out at the end of my first semester.  I quickly muttered a prayer something like "Lord please help me today.."  Seconds later as I hurried toward the library, I noticed Dr. Grounds coming out of the chapel building, and hoped that I would get to the library before he had a chance to talk with me and use up time I did not have.   I quickly thought, "Oh no, I  would love to talk to him Lord but I am too busy." He and I were the only two people on the campus at that moment so I knew it was all but inevitable that I would have to stop, and talk with him because he always wanted to talk with students. So I sped up to try to make it into the safety of the library doors before he made eye contact with me, because as many of us know, if you made eye contact with Dr. Grounds, he insisted on talking with you.  As I walked quickly to the Library door I watched him out of the corner of my eye as he slowly put his head back, and turned his face into the sunshine, and with a powerful and divine smile on his face, and eyes closed, he suddenly and loudly proclaimed "it is a GLORIOUS Day that the Lord has made we shall be glad and rejoice in it..!!"  I thought “Oh no, he saw me and he wants to talk.”   I quickly muttered another prayer "Ok Lord I guess you want me to talk to Dr. Grounds...even though you know I don't have time.", forgetting my prayer just moments earlier for help..  Within seconds we met in front of the library door.  With a bright warm smile, and cheerful unburdened voice he emphatically asked "How are you doing young man...?"  Then I avoided talking about how I really felt and said I was fine. He smiled as if he knew I was hiding my Seminary stress, and helped me focus on God's beauty in the gorgeous day that it was, then used his wonderful and loving counseling gifts to ask me questions that would draw out my burdens to share them with him, as I needed to.  As I shared them with him I began to experience the peace that I had forfeited through my worries around seminary, and listened to His wise loving counsel, I began to focus on the Lord, and His wonderful providence for my wife, and I during this busy new season of life. But it wasn't just his loving thoughtful comments, and questions that restored the Peace in my heart that I so longed for, it was suddenly realizing my Abba's presence in Dr. Grounds loving words, joyful proclamation of Creations beauty, and its therapeutic value as a gift to us from Abba each day, and his thoughtful shepherding of me as my brother ministered to me.  When we finished talking, I realized as he lumbered lovingly away into the morning sunshine, that not only did I have my peace back, but that my prayer of "Please help me today Lord," was answered within seconds of muttering it by a dear, wise, and sold out man of God who was willing to be used that day to encourage a wearied child of God, to remember that his Perfect and watchful Abba thinks about, wants to provide for him and his loved ones,..always.  Even when the child fails to recognize the answer to his own prayer, and views it as a tremendous inconvenience in his schedule.

Abba, please thank my brother Vernon for winking, and smiling at me during my seminary career when I needed it most..and thank you for causing your Spirit to make me realize, immediately after he winked, that it wasn't just him that was winking, it was You....Thank you that he had tears in his eyes when I later told him that...and then gave me a big hug saying loudly "thank you my brother!!"  Please wink at Vernon for me today, so that he knows how much it meant to me…

And Thank You Abba, for being faithful to your promise to send shepherds to guide us by letting us feel, see, hear, and touch You through our brothers wonderful, loving, and Attentive soul.  You must be so pleased that he is Home now.. and he must be so thrilled to see You, and the Beautiful One who Rescued him…

Jeremiah 3:15 "And I will give you shepherds after my own heart who will lead you with knowledge and understanding..."

When the news of Dr. Grounds promotion came my wife, Cass, and I shed a tear and smiled. Sadness that his physical presence will no longer be among us and supreme joy at the legacy the Lord has given him in the lives of so many. His model and his counsel were and continue to be beneficial to me. He has arrived to be with His Lord Who so transformed and motivated his life. Way to go. -Randy Huddleston

OBITUARY

Dr. Vernon C. Grounds

July 19, 1914 – September 12, 2010

Olinger Funeral, Cremation & Cemetery - Chapel Hill

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