Remarkable Faith: Funeral

Continuing on with the Remarkable Faith series over at Giving up on Perfect, today's topic is a funeral that has been significant in your life. As soon as I saw this topic I was reminded of a post I wrote last August when my Uncle Cordell passed away. Although the post is not specifically written about the funeral, I would like to repost it because it was a time of enlightenment and growing in my faith. My dad actually read an excerpt of this post when he spoke at my uncle's funeral, which meant so much to me. The funeral served as a confirmation of the things I felt when I wrote the post below, as well as a chance to meet a handful of the people my uncle touched with his life.

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A Time to Embrace
Reposted from August 11, 2010

I’m writing with a very heavy heart today.

I just found out that my great uncle, who has been battling pancreatic cancer for some months now, was taken to the hospital.  At the time I’m writing we’re not sure if he will be leaving.

After spending some time in prayer and seeking God through His Word, I have looked at some verses in a new light, and thought I would share.

First, let me tell you about my Uncle Cordell.  He has been a great uncle.  He has been the kind of uncle who never ceased to put a smile on my face, and joy in my heart.  He and my Aunt Wilma (his wife) are truly blessings to be around.  They carry warmth and comfort with them wherever they are, and I believe this is the “fragrance of Christ” (2 Corinthians 2:15) on them.  If my Uncle Cordell knew I was writing this, he would not want you to feel sorry for him, he actually wouldn’t want any attention on him at all.  He was slow to tell anyone of his disease for this very reason, and feel sorry for him you should not.  He is a hard worker who, despite his illness, saw to it that work that needed to be done was tended to.  It runs in the family, my grandfather is the same way.  They are quite the pair of brothers, my Uncle Cordell and Pops, very much alike in the joy they bring and their hard work ethic.  I’m hoping that the same work ethic is instilled deep within me as well, it might just take a little searching to find it.

Aunt Wilma and Uncle Cordell at my college graduation/birthday party, May 2007

Uncle Cordell holding Jayden, 4th of July, 2008

It’s hard to see someone you love suffer with the symptoms of cancer.  One of the times I felt it most was a few months ago when Dipal, the boys, and I met up with my Uncle Cordell and Aunt Wilma along with my Pops, Dad, brother, and sister at some of our family’s property in Tennessee.  There was a lingering sense of sadness that everyone tried to look past as the news of the cancer was still somewhat new.  When it came time to say our goodbyes my Uncle Cordell reached out his hand to shake mine.  In my moment of ignorance I lightheartedly said, “I don’t want a handshake, I want a hug.”  After all, that is typically how we would say goodbye in our family, but Uncle Cordell immediately informed me that while he was on chemo he was instructed to keep his distance from others and their germs, but he reassured me “next time.”  

This was the last time I saw Uncle Cordell.

As I was fingering through the pages of my Bible this afternoon, I was led to 1 Corinthians 15: 35-49, which captured my attention because of the subtitle “A Glorious Body.”  Specifically, verses 43 – 44 shone a glimmer of hope (talking of the body).

⁴³ It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory.  It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. ⁴⁴ It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body.  There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.

No matter how dishonoring my uncle's natural body may have been to him through this disease, his spirit will be raised in glory.  No matter how weak this disease makes my uncle’s natural body, his spirit will be raised in power.

Thank you, Jesus.

As Ecclesiastes 3:1 says, “To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven.” It goes on to say in verse 4 “A time to weep, and a time to laugh; A time to mourn, and a time to dance.”

Laughed we have with Uncle Cordell, but now is a season of weeping and mourning the loss of someone we loved very much.  But we have assurance that one day we will be reunited with him in a place of joy.

And I can’t wait to get my hug when I see him there.

*I started to write this yesterday (Tuesday) afternoon after hearing the initial news of my uncle.  Late last night I received a call from my dad informing me that my uncle had passed away, and I completed the post this morning.  Please keep my family in your prayers, specifically my Aunt Wilma, my grandfather, and his sisters and family.

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If you haven't already, please take some time to check out others sharing their stories at Giving up on Perfect today.

Remarkable Faith: Baptism

As I mentioned yesterday, Mary over at Giving up on Perfect is hosting a special series throughout Lent called Remarkable Faith. The topic for today is baptism. If you're visiting from Giving up on Perfect I want to say a huge thank you for stopping by! For everyone else {to whom I am also grateful :) }, feel free to jump on over to visit the rest of the Remarkable Faith posts.

My first baptism was when I was 8 years old. Yes, you read that right, my first. There was a special event at church for the kids and I walked down the aisle, said a prayer, and we planned a time for me to be baptized. I remember very little of it now except for a few details. What impacted me the most was how insignificantly it seemed to impact me from that point on.

As the years went on I wondered if there had ever really been a change in my heart. I worried that my walk up the aisle was more a following of others than a decision on my own part. I just couldn't fathom how at 8 years old I would have really known what I was praying about or committing to. This is not to say that it's impossible to be saved as a child, but personally, I doubted that my 8 year-old self really understood it all. After years of wondering and debating my torn heart was mended in July of 1999 when my 14 year-old self finally decided to do something about it. I prayed to God confessing my sins, repenting of those sins, and turning my life over into His control. And, yes, following the example of the Bible, I followed this decision with baptism {again}.

It was a life changing moment for me. I remember the tears streaming down my face - tears of joy - that I knew, that I knew, that I knew I was His. In fact, I still have a little notebook that I wrote in afterwards where I simply stated, "I'm happier, no more doubts in my mind." I even used the date from the event in my AOL/AIM screen name at the time. How's that for serious? ;)

Have I messed up since then? That would be a big, fat YES! I mean, uh, have you read my story? Have I doubted God since then? Unfortunately, the answer to that is yes too, and you can read some of that here. But the amazing bigger picture in this is that He has never doubted me. He has never let me fall from His hand. He knows the plans for my life {Jeremiah 29:11} and despite my mess-ups and doubts he continues to plant desires in my heart to serve Him.

What's equally as awesome is seeing His work in my family. Within the last year I witnessed my husband's baptism which was such a special moment. A subject I had literally been talking to him about for years, questioning why he hadn't already followed through with it, and trying my best not to be pushy about it. Holding my then 2 yr. old in my arms was priceless as we watched the leader of our home publicly "take the plunge" to show his faith in Christ. I'll never forget the worship time afterwards when my little one {who is usually in nursery during the service} raised his hands and tried to raise mine for me as well, as if he was saying "Mom, we have a lot to be praising for today."