Big Bad Jim: The Life and Legacy of Charles “Jimmy” Carroll

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Transcript from the Celebration of Life for my Papa, Charles “Jimmy” Manuel Carroll, on April 10th, 2022, at First Baptist Church of Polk City, FL.

Scripture

1 Corinthians 9:23-27

23 Now, I do all this because of the gospel, so that I may share in the blessings. 24 Don’t you know that the runners in a stadium all race, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way to win the prize. 25 Now, everyone who competes exercises self-control in everything. They do it to receive a perishable crown, but we an imperishable crown. 26 So I do not run like one who runs aimlessly or box like one beating the air. 27 Instead, I discipline my body and bring it under strict control, so that after preaching to others, I myself will not be disqualified.

Introduction

The man who wrote this passage, Paul, uses a powerful illustration. Life is like a race. It’s not a sprint but a marathon. I’ve never participated in one, but I have friends who have. A marathon requires dedication, endurance, and a commitment to longevity. And, just like we learn from others who accomplish outstanding achievements, we can learn how to run our race well by watching others who have run before us. 

It has been said, the Christian life can be described as a “long obedience moving in the same direction.” Jimmy Carroll lived his life in this way; he was not perfect, but he stayed the course. After receiving Jesus as his Savior, he never looked back. Today, we can better live our lives by learning how Charles “Jimmy” Carroll lived a life of love for Christ Jesus and obedience to His will. 

I believe Papa would be proud to see his children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, great-great-grandchildren, friends, and family gathered to remember him and say goodbye. Your presence is the best indicator of the heritage and legacy that Charles “Jimmy” Manuel Carroll left on this earth. He was a man who was loved, a man who was respected, a man who was generous and blessed beyond measure.

Family Legacy

Jimmy was born in Lakeland, FL, on March 9th, 1938, and left this earth on March 17, 2022. He was the child of James Madison Carroll and Kathrine Oneta Combee. On April 13th, 1956, he married Mona Rutledge. He was the father of David Carroll married to Sharon, Randy Carroll married to Linda, Janet Marcum married to Joe, Tina Prestage married to Keith, and Darlene Goodrich married to Chuck. He had the privilege of having eighteen grandchildren, thirty-eight great-grandchildren, and six great-great-grandchildren. His parents, brothers, and sisters: Sarah, known as Octavia, Cossette, Peggy, Annette, Genice, Narsissy, James, known as Buddy, Alfred, and Ronald, granddaughter Taryn, and son-in-law Keith all preceded him in death.

Live Your Life Like There Is a Prize at the End

Today, each of us has learned something from Papa; whether it was how to catch a fish, fix a lawnmower, use a wrench, change a tire, or stack hay in a trailer, we each have a memory of him teaching us something.  I believe through these verses and his life, we can learn three more things from Papa. First, Paul explains that life doesn’t end with death in these few verses from the first letter to the Corinthians. What we do matters today. Rather than live selfishly or simply to make our lives comfortable, we must live in pursuit of a prize. Papa knew the prize for which he was running. 

I didn’t have the opportunity often, but I would spend the night and talk with him when I did. He would often tell me that he was still alive because he had people he loved who had yet to give their lives to Jesus. 

As I was looking through his truck, I came across some business cards he had made. One card was a typical business card that had his name on it, and where one would put the job title, he placed Deacon Family Ministry at FBC of Polk City with his home and cell numbers. The other card read, “Sorry I missed you,” and had his and Larry’s phone numbers listed. Pretty much up until he was unable to go on visitations, he went every Monday night with Pastor Larry Gandy, Pastor Alan Moore, or Larry Spears, knocking on the doors of people who had visited FBC or those they knew needed to have someone talk with them about Jesus. 

Dedicated To Praying For Others

I remember another time I was visiting Mammaw and Papa. There was another visitor; he was a gentleman that Papa worked with at the Police Department. I gave them some space and hung out in the kitchen area because it seemed like a serious conversation. I overheard Papa tell the gentleman He had been praying for him for nearly fifty years to receive Jesus as His Lord. Fifty years. This man was his friend, and he did not know Jesus. Papa loved his friend dearly and did not want him to pass away before accepting Jesus as his Savior.  I’m not sure if the man finally believed or not, but Papa did not waver in his dedication to praying for his friend. I’m pretty confident that this was not the only conversation he had with friends over the years.

I’ve spent some time looking through his Bible, and I found many papers filled with notes of people he was praying for and friends he invited to church. Papa never sugarcoated or shied away from the gospel of Jesus Christ. On the contrary, he never wanted anyone who entered his house to leave without hearing about the importance of “getting right with God.” Like Papa, we must live like an eternity with Jesus on the horizon. 

Even though he could hardly walk the last few years; Jimmy Carroll ran in such a way to receive his prize.

Learn to Sacrifice the Temporary for the Eternal

We’ve all lived our lives in pursuit of something—wealth, friendship, power. Yet, Paul writes that just like a runner exercises self-control to train for their race, we too must sacrifice. We must renounce some temporary things for eternal things. If we do this, our trophy won’t rust, fall apart, or disappear into an attic or storage unit at the end of our life. Instead, our trophy will be imperishable.

Papa sacrificed so much of his time, money, and resources for others. We could probably write books and tell stories for days about things he has done for people all over Polk City. I’m sure that there are many more he never even told anyone about. He was there if anyone needed to borrow a tool or his help. He asked if you borrowed it and returned it to where you found it. As a younger child, I remember him taking me on odd jobs, mostly yard work (like I didn’t have enough yard work to do, I am Darlene’s son, for goodness sake). All joking aside, it was to help elderly folks in the church. He lived selflessly and gave all that he could to serve church members. He had a servant’s heart.

Sacrifice Comes With a Cost

A few years ago, he and I talked at our family Christmas party, and he asked me how work was going. I told him it was tough because I was a full-time student, working 50+ hours a week, getting ready to start an internship, and having a growing family. He told me, “Kid, (that’s what he called me) don’t do what I did and neglect your family. Yes, you have to provide for them. Don’t you dare miss out on your kids growing up.” He told me that while he held seven jobs at one time, he regretted that he missed out on time with his family. He learned that sacrifice comes with a cost, and someone has to pay for it.

Living your life for the eternal means treating temporary things like they are temporary. We can spend so much of our lives chasing after something that will eventually disappear. Instead of simply accumulating wealth, how can you live generously? Instead of living like more hours at work will fix all of your problems, how can you spend more time serving others? Rather than simply satisfying your cravings, how can you live a life of obedience to God? How can you spend more time with your family, helping them to know God? How can you glorify God with your life?

Papa learned to sacrifice the temporary for the eternal and so can we.

We Receive a Prize Because Christ Has Already Won It For Us

The Christian faith tells us that we are all broken individuals. We live in a broken world surrounded by broken lives, broken relationships, and broken systems. Even those of us considered “good” are only “good” because we compare ourselves to others. We’ve all hurt the people around us with our actions, our words, and our thoughts. Brokenness leads us to search for a way to make life work. We keep looking and trying to do it independently but get nowhere.

In contrast to this brokenness, we also see beauty, purpose, and evidence of design around us. We read in Scripture that everything was created to work in harmony and everyone fit together. God made each person with a purpose – to worship Him and walk with Him; we have witnessed in Scripture that connection didn’t last long. People chose to ignore God’s plan and design for mankind. We each turned to our own way, did not remain in his love, and did not keep his commands. Therefore, sin drove God away. 

Brokenness

So, it was sin that led to the brokenness we experience all around.  We try and figure out how to get rid of the brokenness-pain-hurt on our own, but it doesn’t get any better. We try to do good in hopes that one day we’ll prove to God that we deserve him, but that brokenness leads us to a place of realizing a need for something greater than what we can offer.

The Bible tells us that we have two choices. We accept what Jesus did for us on the cross, or we do not. Two choices. Only two. And actually, when we choose not to decide, we have already decided. To not accept Christ Jesus is to reject Him. When we receive him by faith, ask him to forgive us of our sins, and seek to walk in a relationship with him, we enjoy the peace of knowing that we go to heaven when we leave this earth. If we do not accept him, then we are left with the terrifying prospect of trying to make it to heaven on our own. No amount of good deeds can erase the fact that we are sinners in desperate need of a savior.

Redemption

Listen, Jesus lived the life we were supposed to live, free of sin. What is sin? Sin is anything we think, say, or do that disobeys God’s Commands. We always sin-He never sinned. He died the death that we were condemned to die. So, we miss the mark on God’s standard of righteousness and are deserving of death, but Jesus took our punishment and paid our debts with His blood. 

Papa experienced loss so many times; as a law enforcement officer and firefighter, he saw the effects of sin regularly, yet he never lost faith in Jesus. On the contrary, those experiences only increased his faith. He was a real hero, but not how Hollywood portrays a hero. He didn’t leap tall buildings with a single bound or fly through the air with a cape in tow. No, he saw the struggles of others and moved quickly to help. He put himself in harm’s way to save the lives of strangers and, yes, even family members. This is what I mean by Papa’s faith is one that typifies the gospel. Rather than falling into despair or self-righteousness, he led with compassion, care, and sacrifice in the best ways he could to emulate his Savior.

Jesus conquered sin and death in Papa’s place and in that victory, he gets to share in HIs glory, and so can we.

Conclusion

What can you learn from the life of Jimmy Carroll today?  Live your life like there is a prize at the end, learn to sacrifice the temporary for the eternal, and believers receive a prize because Christ has already won it for us. The prize is Jesus himself. 

During his last days, I asked him if there was anything he wanted me to tell each of you on his behalf, and he told me two things: to present the gospel and plead to family and friends who don’t have a relationship with Jesus to get right with him. The second thing was to tell family members to keep their promises to him. I don’t know who made him promises, but I do know that Papa always kept his. So, in his honor, I encourage you to keep the promise you made him. 

While we weep today, we can also rejoice in a life lived well—a life that saw the need to both receive grace and give grace. 

Update: While at the reception with family, I was approached by David Byrd. He told me that the man Papa prayed for for nearly fifty years received Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior hours before he passed away. As Papa would say to his friend and pastor, Allan Moore, "One more for Jesus." One more indeed.