Funeral – Mrs. _______
We have come to the moment in the service where I am expected to say some nice things about _____. I need to share with you that finding something nice to say is harder than you might think. Please don’t mis-understand. The only reason it is hard is because there is so much to say that I don’t know where to start.
I decided That I should start with a quick list of her qualifications:
From her family you will find that she is praised in her role as a wife and mother. She herself was open about her love of her children and she spoke about how much she missed Charles her husband. The family all speak of her influence on their lives and about her amazing strength and deep faith. It was said that she loved her family even when they were less than perfect. It is common to hear family members describe ______’s faith as being an inspiration as to what faith is to be.
From her own description she had a life filled with honest hard work. She shared about her hard times, illness, healing and deep loss….but always add how God had pulled her through. Her faith and stewardship we apparent when you spent any time with her.
From her church the discussion goes immediately to her faithfulness in using her spiritual gifts. Her main gift was one of prayer.
Michael already mentioned that she was a prayer warrior…That seems to be a constant description that is used by many people when talking about ______. It is a trait that is offered with great respect. .
However, I would offer a slightly different description.
She was a prayer champion for her family and church and even the community. There is only a small difference between the two descriptions. Both train and exercise and engage in the battles for their king and kingdom. A champion is a warrior that has endured challenges and consistently been the winner, consistently been the intercessor and protector.
______ was the person that was the first person called when any of her family and friends struggled with life’s battles became overwhelming and needed intersession when any one needed a champion before the thrown of God.
Another Gift that she had but would never really claim, ______ was an endless source of encouragement. You might have gone by or called to try to lift her up; however, in every conversation she always seemed to give the visitor a lift as well.
______ was a small lady but possessed amazing strength, faith and power all of which came from her relationship with Jesus Christ.
______ understood something that a lot of people miss. God never retires us from using our gifts for His kingdom.
Those are wonderful basic qualifications that any person would wish to be know for while in this world. But there is something deeper that we need to look into.
In considering the scriptures to focus our celebration today I came up with all kinds of words that would help us to remember her, words like wisdom, faithful, righteous, generous. I could have made a sermon on any positive character trait we could name and found plenty of material.
But, most of the words that we can use to describe people are actually very temporary. Most of them either disappear or fade fairly quickly as the person leaves our presence.
According to Paul there is one exception. Let me read part of his description
in 1 Corinthians 13 with you V1-8a
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Love never fails.
Personally, I believe that ______’s life is a great example of how this scripture could illustrated. According to Paul Genuine Live is a trait that does not disappear. It has a powerful influence on people. The Love that ______ demonstrated is going to live on in this world long after her physical presence has left.
Cathy, Pinkie and the rest of the family can’t help themselves. They have been tainted, stained, spoiled by the love that ______ felt and showed to her family. The same is true for her friends and church family because love is infectious and once shared the affect can never really be totally removed.
______ was an extravagant person; she gave away all the best things she possessed.
Her smile was quick to appear, broad and genuine.
Hugs were so plentiful you would have thought they were free.
Her personality was gentile and giving and it was easy to get to know her because there was only one and what you see is what you get.
As far as I can tell, ______ loved everyone she met. She was able to make that
“Love your neighbor as yourself” thing to be as real as anyone I have ever met.
Her ability to love and encourage people has a value to her family and friends that only God can calculate.
Preachers spend a lot of time reminding people that we are supposed to try to live a life like Jesus. I know a lot of people that will say that they know Jesus. There are lots of people that will use the name of Jesus in one way or another.
But I believe that Tince was really on a first name basis with Jesus Christ and it was no accident. She got that way because of all the conversations that she had in the prayer closet and all the time that she spent reading and listening to the living word of God. Not just reading but searching and consuming the treasures found in scripture.
It seems to me that she was so good at giving love away because she was so aware of the love that God had always show to her.
In the past couple of months ______ faced some hard times. She had to deal with an attack on her health that she called “the or that thing.” She wasn’t going to name it. She never let it have any kind of permanent power over her.
She focused on the obvious blessings in her life like her family, the continued the gift of her sharp mind and the real presence of God in her daily life.
She never let the “thing” that attacked her separate her from the love of God. It never gave her any doubt about a loving God that had offered her eternal promises.
I don’t know about you but I can feel the loss that our community has suffered. The loss of a champion when it seems like our world needs more champions.
I am left wondering about God’s plans when we loose a champion like ______. However,
If I have learned anything from her then I am going to growing my trust in god and His timing and love for us. I am going to keep being thankful for all that he has done and is doing for his creation.
Today, I am joyful because her losses have been completely recovered.
I am happy because she has been freed from a limiting existence.
I am excited because she has received a new imperishable body, free from pain and limitation.
I am confident that ______ has heard the coveted words, “Well done my good and faithful servant.”
All Glory be to God!
