Funerals . . .?

            First, let me say Merry Christmas!!  Please look at this blog post like a roller coaster ride!  No!  I don’t mean it is going to go up and down.  Stick with me till the end.  God started these thought in my mind yesterday, and finished them tonight during my long hot shower.  I took the shower hoping to relieve the sinus congestion I have been experiencing.  Fasten the seat belt in your rollercoaster car, pull back the safety bar and hang on to your seats.  Please stick with me.

            We have had a lot of funerals lately!  Let me be honest, I do not like going to funerals.  My family has buried my mother, father and two brothers!   I did not want to attend any of their funerals. My preference was to remember them the way they were the last time I saw them.  Which begs the question, “why do we have funerals and why do we attend funerals?”  Some will say it is a faux pas to ask this question.  I asked this question to one Southern lady and she said, “that is what we do in the South.”   Let me share with you some of the answers people in the South have given me.  These are in no particular order.

                        1.  It is what we do!
                        2.  Respect for the family.
                        3.  Support the family.
                        4.  Say goodbye to the dear departed.
                        5.  Honor a fallen comrade (military funeral)

            Let’s us speculate you are attending a funeral for someone with whom you were not close.  Maybe they were not in your close circle of friends.  It’s possible you know someone in the family.  How often did you see this person before they “passed” (as we say in the South).  Did you see them at church every Sunday or Wednesday?  We probably walked by them and said, “hey, how are you?”  as a greeting and not a question.  Maybe you worked with that person for years, and out of obligation you are at the funeral.  You can put a check in the sympathy box.  So far you have stood in line at visitation, sat through a funeral service and possibly a graveside service for someone who meant very little to you until they died.  Do not unbuckle and try to exit the rollercoaster.  Here comes the first turn.
Mary Beth and Precious
            You might remember I posted a photo about two weeks ago commemorating Precious going home to be with Jesus.  God brought to mind today the first time she climbed into my lap.  I didn’t know her story yet, but it kind of freaked me out that she held out her arms, climbed into my lap and settled into a deep sleep.  This happened several times while I was at New Day before I finally got the message.  She needed to feel and be loved.  She needed to know that someone cared.  This thought revolutionized how I saw the people at New Day, and how I see everyone I encounter.  I found myself taking every opportunity to love on people, encourage people, and be uplifting.  We all know I am not perfect, but I make the effort to love even those who are difficult to love.  Why?  God gave me two verses:

John 13:34  "A new commandment I give                           to you, that you love one another,even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 
35"By this all men will know that you are 
My disciples, if you have love for one another."

 Luke 6:27   "But I say to you who hear,love your enemies,
do good to those who hate you,
28  bless those who curse you, 
pray for those who mistreat you.…”

          I am joyful that Precious is in Heaven, and is no longer in pain.  I mourn that I did not express my love for her more during the time I had with her.   As a once popular song by Rich Mullins (?)  clearly says, “on the highway of life, there’s nowhere to turn around.”  I can’t go back, but I can pay it forward.
          Paying it forward means I don’t wait till the funeral to

                                                Pay my Respect to a family.
                                                Support the family.
                                                Say hello and encourage those I encounter daily.

There is no time like the present

James 4:14  Yet you do not know what your
life will be like tomorrow.  You are just a 
vapor that appears for a little while and 
then vanishes away. 

Not sure why God wanted me to share this.  As Opey famously said, “It’s been praying on my mind Pa!”  Who do we pass every day that needs a smile, a hug, a pat on the back or a few words of encouragement.  Who did we pass today and say , “how are your?” and keep walking?   They will know we are Disciples of Christ by our love.  Just sayin’!!

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