When I was visiting my parents in Louisiana in March of this year, my mom planned her funeral. She had started filling out a book about her plans a few years ago, but this time she was serious about the details. She thoroughly enjoyed the process of choosing hymns, pallbearers, musicians, etc. It was a good day, and she was feeling well.

At the time of her planning, we didn’t know that a month later, on April 5, 2023, she would pass away.

While she was thinking and talking about her service, she suddenly looked at me and said, “I want you to speak at my funeral.” I was very surprised and told her I didn’t know if I could. She didn’t relent.

“O.K., I’ll stand up and recite my favorite poem you wrote,” I said. Mom was known for her poetry, and she knew my favorite one. She agreed that would be fine.

“A frog and a spider went out one day

to write a story and then to play.

But the frog wanted food more than a friend,

so he ate the spider and wrote, “The End!”

Her poetry was a gift she shared with many people throughout her life. She was often asked to write a poem for a special occasion for someone, which she gladly did. As I looked through her writings after she passed, I was amazed at how many poems she wrote for people.

Being a pastor’s wife, a church secretary, and working at the Louisiana Baptist Convention for many years, she had plenty of opportunities to get material for her poems! I don’t know who she wrote this one about, but a friend remembers being in a meeting with Mom when she wrote this one:

“Behold, the speaker standeth, Behold, the speaker speaketh.

He said he draweth from ‘the Well,’ I think his bucket leaketh!”

Mom’s faith was the most important thing to her, and she often wrote about it. Thirty-six years ago at Easter, she wrote this:

“Let us dwell not on Jesus’ pain, Nor call attention to His foes.

Let us be glad and rejoice today! Jesus, our Savior, arose!”

At the end of speaking at her service, I told the congregation I was going to take the advice she gave in this poem:

“If you’re asked to speak a word, and your ideas begin to click,

Just remember they said, ‘a word.’ Speak up and sit down quick!”

We miss you, Mom. But knowing we will meet again makes all the difference.

A couple of years ago, during the early morning while my husband and I were still asleep, I heard the trumpet of the Lord! It was a majestic, royal trumpet blast, just like I had always imagined it would be. I got up and looked through the blinds, expecting and hoping to see Jesus coming through the clouds to get us!

There was nothing out there but darkness.

It was then that I realized my husband had changed his “text alert” to a royal trumpet sound. Uggghhhh.

I was so disappointed! I wanted it to be Jesus!

We’ve laughed about it since then, especially when I tell someone who hasn’t heard the story.

But even though that was a false alarm, I know that one day it will be real!

Have you heard the old song with these lyrics?

“When the trumpet of the Lord shall sound and time shall be no more, and the morning breaks eternal, bright, and fair;

When the saved of earth shall gather over on the other shore, and the roll is called up yonder I’ll be there!”

I love that song! It shows us the hope and promise we have in Jesus Christ.

So even though my hopes were dashed on that early morning when I thought I heard Jesus coming, I have realized he has given me more time to serve him here on earth.

Because when the roll is called up yonder I’ll be there!

There is a book with the above title that’s about an “orphanage” in north Florida that existed in the 1950’s and 1960’s. The “claim to fame” of this place is very dark. Abuse to the point of death was committed on many of the hundreds of boys who lived there during this time period.

A few years ago, I met one of those “boys” who was in his 90’s. I knew he was one because he wore a cap that said, “The White House Boys.”

Prior to meeting him, I had heard vague stories of the institution, The Florida Industrial School for Boys, and how horrible it was. But meeting someone who had witnessed it was eye-opening.

The place was closed after graves of many young boys were discovered on the property. They were kids that had been “forgotten” by society and put away, forced to endure the hardships that were a result of being a resident there.

But this man proudly wore the cap like a badge of honor. He was eager to talk about it, even showing me a book written about this “orphanage” and the atrocities that happened there.

Knowing so many boys had been abused and died there, I asked him, “How did you survive?”

He smiled and chuckled when he said, “I didn’t call attention to myself.” After seeing what led to the others being taken away and often not seeing them again, he took note and stayed “under the radar.”

I never found out whether this man had a Christian faith. But meeting him reminded me of healing that can take place in people’s lives, no matter what they have experienced.

So many people in this fallen world have experienced abuse on some level, regardless of their faith or lack of it.

But God can heal anything — physically, mentally, emotionally.

Psalm 147:3 says, “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.”

And Psalm 34:17-20 tells us that “When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.”

He has provided ways for healing through counselors, pastors, and others. There are support groups of various specialties that can help victims know they are not alone — and heal.

Just remember that the Bible promises us that God is The Healer.

“Father, touch me now with your healing hands, for I believe that your will is for me to be well in mind, body, soul and spirit. Cover me with the most precious blood of your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Many years ago I was reminding a preschool Sunday School class about the Christmas story, which I assumed they all knew.

“And there were shepherds in the fields, watching their flocks by night . . . Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared, and they were sore afraid!”

A little four-year old girl, who was new to the church, was listening intently. As I glanced around the table, I noticed the look on her face. One of curiosity and bewilderment.

“Have you ever heard the story of Jesus being born in Bethlehem?” I asked.

She shook her head to say “no.”

I was so surprised! I don’t know that I had ever encountered a young child who didn’t know the Christmas story.

Having lived my life in mostly Christian environments, I thought almost everyone had heard about Jesus’ birth. Even people I had encountered through the years who weren’t Christians knew the story.

So I started at the beginning.

Having the privilege of telling this innocent child the story of Jesus for the first time was very moving. It made me look at the story that I had heard my whole life, since my birth, in a new way. It was fresh to her. And she seemed amazed.

Every year at Christmas, I think about the little girl and wonder who hasn’t heard this story.

The angel said to the shepherds, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.” (Luke 2:10)

Who do you know that doesn’t know the true meaning of the Christmas story?

“Did you know that Jesus was born before He was born?”

This question was posed to me by a seven year old boy in Sunday School recently. It’s a tenet of the Christian faith, and I was shocked to hear it from a child!

In case you weren’t aware of this, the evidence is in Genesis 1:26.

“Then God said, “Let US make mankind in OUR image, in OUR likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky . . .”

And in John 1:1 — “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.”

“Word” refers to Jesus throughout the scriptures. Jesus has always been with God.

This concept can get “deep,” but the truth for us to know is that the seven year old boy was correct.

“Before Jesus was born, He was born!”

Last week I assisted with our church’s mid-week children’s program. There was lots of energy, and the kids were excited to be there!

During the lesson my friend, Nancy, asked the children some questions about communicating with God. It was evident that many of the children knew about God and Jesus and that he is always with them.

During the conversation about God being near, someone said, “He hears us!” Little Henry softly added, “In bilingual!”

It reminded me of the “child-like faith” the Bible talks about — that we should have simple faith like a child, knowing that God always hears and understands us. A simple belief in the faithfulness of God is a treasure!

As you go through each day, remember the simple truth that God is with you all of the time. He hears you!

Even in “bilingual.”

Hey, Siri!

I find myself saying this several times a day when I want to know the answer to something or to text a friend. It’s so convenient. (I recently heard about a little boy who did his math homework with Alexa. He got it done quickly!)

Yesterday I had an interesting experience. While checking on my friend’s cats while she’s on a trip, I had other voices to contend with. She had given me lessons on them before she left.

“Alexa, I’m home!” I’m supposed to say when I want the lights to come on in the living room. And Alexa answers me! And when I’m leaving, I need to tell her that so she will turn off the lights.

But in the bedroom, I have to talk to “Echo.” I can’t remember what I’m supposed to say to her/him.

Yesterday I found myself standing in the middle of the house thinking about who I need to talk to — Siri, Alexa, or Echo. It was confusing! It prompted me to think about how often I “talk” to technological voices every day!

Do you realize how often we hear competing voices in our everyday world? In the “real world,” these voices talk to ME without being prompted! They seem to be competing for my attention. I realize I need to be intentional about which ones I listen to.

For instance, the “voice” saying, “You should try on that blouse. It’s so pretty” is heard when I walk in the mall for exercise. (I know — I could stop walking in the mall, but it’s always the perfect temperature!)

The ones saying, “Eat here!” when I drive down the street on my way to work. They are often tempting, but I’m trying to eat healthier.

Of course, there are more serious voice opportunities in our lives, like when we are driving and people aren’t being very nice. It’s so tempting to reciprocate.

Did you realize the Bible gives us direction on who to listen to?

“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” (John 10:27)

When I focus on listening to the Holy Spirit, the various “voices” in my day are quieter, or even non-existent. It’s much more peaceful!

So the next time I ask Siri or Alexa for something, I’ll be reminded that the Holy Spirit is waiting for me to tune in to Him, whether asking a question or listening for an answer.

“Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.” (Jeremiah 33:3)

In Humboldt, Tennessee, every spring there is a festival where thousands of people come to the small town for parades and other events. As part of that, a local family provides a Christian concert for the community. It often sells out, as the bands are well-known. One year the family gave us tickets to attend. It came along with the opportunity to go backstage before the concert to meet the band. Of course, this was very exciting!

Our sons had a good friend, Daniel, who didn’t have a ticket to the concert. It was disappointing to Colin and Christopher, as well as Daniel, when he had to stay home while we went to the concert.

But at the very last minute, there was an extra ticket! The boys called Daniel and told him we could pick him up on the way to the concert. When we arrived at the church, we were led down the aisle of the packed sanctuary to the backstage door. His sister had arrived early and had an aisle seat, since she had planned ahead and bought a ticket. As we passed her, the look on her face as she saw her brother was, “What are you doing here?”

He waved at her.

Not only did he get to go to the concert, he got to meet the band members backstage! The incident reminded me of how we are God’s children and he loves giving us gifts. Sometimes he surprises us with things we cannot even imagine he would do!

Even though we are undeserving of his blessings, God still gives them to us because we are his children and he loves us.

“So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly father give good gifts to those who ask him?” (Matthew 7:11, NLT)

Can you think of a time when God has surprised you by giving you something unexpected? We may not deserve them, but God loves us and blesses us any way.

Yesterday, I had an opportunity to give someone grace.

Before you might think how wonderful I was, I need to give some background.

I took my dogs to be groomed at a pet store. It shall remain unnamed. But it was in another state, so that’s pretty anonymous.

I had an appointment the day before for another one of my dogs. I was running 15 minutes late and called the salon. The person who answered said — “That’s o.k. We have a break after each grooming, so even getting here 20 minutes late is fine.”

All went well.

The next day I had an appointment to get my other dog groomed (they didn’t have two available the day before). Again, I was running late but this time only ten minutes! I remembered what the girl yesterday had said — that it didn’t matter — so I walked in, all smiles, and was greeted by someone I hadn’t met the day before. She looked at me sternly and said, “Just to let you know, we have a 15-minute grace period, so if you were five more minutes late, you would have had to reschedule.

My smile disappeared. I felt attacked!

Then she said, “We also need to see your dog’s vaccination record.” Luckily, I had thought ahead on that one and had it on my phone. But the day before I had not been required to show it.

At this point her tone got even worse as she said, “I am the salon manager, and we have to go by these rules.” When I told her they didn’t have to yesterday, she looked concerned.

I understood about them needing to follow the rules, but the tone of her voice and the look on her face were not at all welcoming, so I told her.

“The girl who helped me yesterday was much nicer.” (I have been known to “tell it like it is,” maybe too often.)

When I returned to pick up my dog, an interesting opportunity presented itself. The store manager and the regional guy that visits all the salons in the area to monitor how they are doing were there. I realized who they were after chatting for a minute while the groomer finished my dog.

“So you guys are here to check them out and see how they are doing?” I asked.

“Yes we are,” one of them said.

As the salon manager stood behind the counter, I noticed she looked at me. Could I make or break her job? Lucky for her, I had had time to cool off after our initial encounter. But I still thought to myself — she is wondering (and scared) what I will say to them.

“They do a great job here,” I said enthusiastically. And this was true. My dogs both looked great, and I was pleased.

We chatted a few more minutes as they looked at some records and observed the groomers. I noticed the salon manager relax, but she still glanced at me occasionally.

Grace.

We all need it. We all want it. And God gives it to us every single day.

It was a good reminder for me. And I realized that next time (there are always these opportunities!), I might not have the “cooling off” period. I need to take a breath, count to ten or 100, and be kind in these situations.

I’m reminded of the hymn that begins with these words: “Marvelous grace of our loving Lord, grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt . . .” It’s based on Romans 5:20, which says, “But where sin increased, grace increased all the more.” (NIV)

What a great reminder. Because next time, it might be me needing grace.

Bill was in his mid-50s when I first met him. I had begun working with hospice, and he was one of my first patients.

Outgoing, positive, and frustrated were the words I would use to describe him at that point. His illness had made him wheelchair-bound, and he was no longer free to do what he wanted without help.

During one of our many conversations, he said something I found very interesting.

“I really miss my job.”

Of course, my next question was, “What did you do?”

“I was a garbage man,” he replied, with a smile

I must admit my first thought was — you miss being a “garbage man?” But as he talked, he lit up, reminiscing about the good times he had enjoyed during the many years he had worked.

“I miss it so much! Being outside every day, riding on the back of the truck, seeing the people . . .”

It occurred to me that one of Bill’s gifts was service to others. It didn’t matter the setting. He enjoyed the work and seeing people in the neighborhoods.

We might not realize what makes another person happy. Or the God-given gifts/talents they have that gives meaning to their lives.

What do you enjoy doing as a job or a hobby? These skills/talents are a gift from God. Enjoy them as you honor and serve God!

Romans 12:6 — “We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us . .. .”