Homecoming / Home-Going!

What  wonderful words – Homecoming and Home-going!  I attended one of my very sweet friends Home-going Saturday afternoon! She lived in the apartments next door to mine and she was like a breath of fresh air to all who knew her! It didn’t matter that we were of a different skin color! Thank God there is no difference in our God’s eyes!  Everyone of the residents here simply loved her! She always had a smile and something funny to tell us, that had happened recently or in the past! She would sit with us on our front porch and we would double over with laughter at some of her stories!  She had a bad summer, in and out of the hospital, but that didn’t damper her humor, nor the smile on her face. She won my heart right off the bat and when I got the word that she had died, my heart hurt so bad I felt I couldn’t stand it. I didn’t just cry, I sobbed!  Then we went to her funeral and there was NOTHING sad about that funeral! There was such an awesome presence of God! There was happiness that one more of God’s children was called home! The singing, music was Mt. Zion’s Church’s saying goodbye to a faithful servant of the Lord! The minister talked of the Old ship of Zion pulling up to the shore and saying “Samantha, come and get on board, the Master wants to see you!” I left that church, smiling, thinking about the fact that mine and Samantha’s  friendship didn’t end here! One day soon, because of what Jesus did for us on that Cross, and if we accept Him into our hearts, we could once again sit together in Heaven and talk and laugh for an eternity!
Then I attended Homecoming at Eastside Baptist Church! What a wonderful Homecoming ! I had to think of Samantha and her experiencing Heaven at last! Her son, who died a couple months ago, standing there to meet her, taking her by the hand and saying “Mom,I want you to meet Jesus”. Don’t the thought of that make the hair stand up on your head! Praise the Lord!
Such a wonderful service we had Sunday at Homecoming! My good friend and former Pastor Gene Land preached !  He did such a fantastic job again! Remember in my other blog about him, when I got to hear him preach for the first time after his stroke! I felt it was a miracle that I  got to hear him that time. Well, I felt the same way this time also! His voice was stronger. He still had to preach sitting down, but I could bet you there was angels surrounding him, even if we couldn’t see them! I said the first time I ever heard him preach that GOD had his hand on that man!  It was true then and it’s true still! The light in his face was still proof of that ! And did he preach!  It was wonderful!  My mind wandered back to the first time I ever saw him! He came in the restaurant and naturally every one was staring at the new preacher at Second Baptist! Little did I know how much he would come to mean to our whole family! He was like a member of our family and still is! He would come into the restaurant and make himself at home (because that’s how we wanted it). Sometimes he would wrap silverware for Sherry if she was busy! He would just go into the kitchen and just fix what he wanted. That would tickle us to death!  (You might say he was to us what the Pope is to the Catholics).
I would never have made it through a divorce had it not been with his help!  I will never forget his words to me “Pray and ask God to replace the love you have for (you know who) and replace it with more love for Him.”  When I prayed that prayer the healing began!
The music was great, both by the trio and choir! The food! Man, the food on that table!  It was so nice seeing friends and families together, talking and hugging (and eating). It was all so sweet and really special.
But I would just like to say to Gene, Thank you for all you did for us at Second Baptist and Eastside! You have been a might Warrior for your Lord! You were there for all our family, anytime there was a need! For everyone else, the same!  Sometimes we get so busy with daily happenings that we tend to forget to tell people how much they mean to us! If I haven’t told you before, I love both you and June, Richie (He’s such a sweetheart) and Kelly!  I love you all, with all my heart and one day, in Heaven, where there won’t be any more SICKNESS nor death, we will sit down under a big old shade tree and laugh about these silly old trials we had down here on earth! I know I will have to ask God “Why did you let my friend and brother have that Ol’ stroke when we needed him so bad?”  I know there is a reason!  God knows I have the question in my heart! Do you think He might say “THAT WAS NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS”?
Love you always, My friend and Brother, Peggy