My Best Friend
By: Floyd Hoskinson, 2009
Looking back over my seventy years of life I recall that I had a great number of friends. In high school I was active in sports. Everybody likes to be a friend of the ‘jocks’. But there is only one ‘friend’ from my childhood who stands out in my memory. I walked about ¾ mile to elementary school. When I was ten years old I was a member of the school crossing patrol. My large golden chow dog, Buddy, always walked with me to the school crossing and waited with me while I directed the children when to cross. When I was done with my patrol duties and went into the school, Buddy would go home. On one particular day Buddy walked into the road and was struck by a car. He lay helplessly alongside the road. I was too small to carry him for help and was in a quandary as to what I could do. My friend hurried over to help me carry my injured dog over to the school where my parents picked him up and took him to a veterinarian. Buddy soon recovered.
But I have never forgotten how my friend came to my aid. In the years since then I have had many other friends but none like my ‘best friend and buddy’, my wife of 49 ½ years, Willa. However, when I was fifteen years old I found a true friend whom I would like to introduce to you. He was baptized by his cousin, John, in the Jordan River. He taught, healed the lame, and gave sight to the blind. On one occasion during his teaching he paused to feed 5,000 people with just five loaves of bread and two fish. He was whipped, spat upon, and hanged upon a cross between two thieves to pay for our sins. As I stand in the sanctuary and look at the stained glass window I see that my friend, Jesus, has his hands outstretched in welcome. I can hear him say, “Come unto me, all ye who are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." And the position of his hands reminds me that he urged his disciples to allow the little children to come unto him for of such is the kingdom of heaven. We who are his children can be so thankful that he wraps his arms around us and helps us carry our burdens, no matter how great. My prayer is that He will be your best friend for He makes us all a blessing to others.
No one has greater love than this – that one lays down his life for his friends. John 15:13
Point to Ponder: Jesus is our friend forever when our heart is full of love for him and others.
Lamination
By: Mike Campbell, 2009
Quite recently a new friend of mine was involved in a fatal car accident. This event has affected me deeply, even though we had only just met. He had sought out my services to help further his own interests in building Snowboards. Preferring to meet face to face, he drove eight hours to personally pick his order up, staying more than 3 hours that day.
In the weeks that followed we exchanged emails and a few phone calls covering news of our respective work and shared goals for our collective future. He was interested in helping me get my own line of boards launched and I made plans to develop other items for his. All in all a good relationship was developing both in business and personally.
The work I do involves manipulating various lumbers. Producing items that most won’t think twice about. But there is a level of knowledge needed to be able to assemble strips of wood together and get the desired end result. A great deal of thought takes place before the first board is even cut. Specific adhesives are used at different stages to create a proper bonding of the individual pieces to form a whole. All components being designed to work together, becoming stronger than they could be on their own.
So too is the Church the body of Christ. Individuals bound together made stronger whole than apart. Imagine then the amount of effort to laminate such an end result. The skill of the all mighty to know just what is needed where to strengthen us as a whole.
1As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called— 5one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. Ephesians 4:1-4
At the time of writing this my friend's body is being put to rest. His loved ones are gathered to remember and honor his life. Yet I pray that they will not dwell on the absence of his physical body knowing that his spirit continues on with the Lord. I take solace in the opportunity to know Patrick and believe that he lived in a manner which we all aspire. (Mathew 7:12) “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.”
By helping one another achieve and succeed we benefit ourselves and honor the Lord. We are all one body in Christ, saved by his grace through our faith. May we all be fortunate as to know each other and benefit one another in Christ’s name. Who is to know what great things are possible through our combined effort in Gods’ love.
Point to Ponder: We are one body in Christ
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My Husband, Rev. Charles Gregory
By: Polly Gregory, 2008
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8: 35-39 NIV
Thank you, thank you, thank you! I’ve tried to find a word like “supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” that means “Thank You”, but couldn’t find one, so just a small “thank you” will have to do.
Sunday, July 8, 2007 Charles stood here and said, “I am the sickest I have ever been in my life. I have stomach cancer and am beginning a journey. I’m asking you to walk this journey with me and I need your prayers and support. We'll keep you posted on what’s happening and where we are on this journey. But please pray for God’s will to be done.”
After he sat down, and as Pastor David made some comments about Charles’ testimony, I glanced over at Charles and I was told, “You’re losing him”. I immediately answered, “Not without a fight!” Now I know we shouldn’t argue with God, but He has known me these 71 years and He knew what I was going to say. He expected it from me. I told no one about this. I did tell Pastor David when Charles was in the hospital New Year’s week. And I told Charles about it when Hospice came in.
After Charles’ testimony here the roller coaster ride started. And I do not like roller coasters - they make me barf! Up with the good news and down with the bad news - the extreme loss of weight, the pneumonia twice, the MRSA staph infection twice, feeding ports in and out. Your prayers, support, calls and cards were tremendous! I have saved every card - hundreds of them! I’ve read and re-read them.
During that time he had 25 radiation treatments and managed fairly well. The tumor was shrunken, he could eat on his own and the feeding port came out. However - the stomach cancer had spread to the lungs. The stomach tumor could be maintained with treatments, not curable or operable. The lung tumors could be eliminated with chemo treatments. He had 5 of those, but was unable to take the 6th one. He had pneumonia again. This put him in the hospital New Year’s Eve day and we learned he now had blood clots in one lung.
During all this time we were learning how much we are loved. And that’s something I can’t stress enough. Let people know you love them before it’s too late. It’s far better to hear it while they can see and hear you, and respond to that love. Let them go in peace knowing they are loved by you. We had so many express their love in so many ways.
All during those seven months we talked about the future. He made plans for his memorial services. David was told what to do. Charles had no fear of what lay ahead, only concern for me and my being alone. He knew where he was going.
The youth came before Christmas to sing for us. What a joy!! We had been unable to attend church to hear and see the Christmas joys. Then they came again in January, after he was under the care of Hospice. They had the opportunity to see the change in his body. More importantly, they had the opportunity to hear him. He told them he knew he was dying and had no fear of it, and to not cry for him. They might cry for themselves, but not him. They should make sure they had their lives right, make the right choices in their lives and know there were consequences for bad choices.
All this time I tried to keep my chin up, but will admit I had to go around the corner a few times to have a “pity party”. Still do! Yet I knew Charles was in the best of hands - God’s! All I could do was dote on him and love him as I had for over 52 years. God was in control of everything else. We did not question anything that was happening to us. No need to. We knew we had done our best to follow God’s direction for our lives. This was not a punishment. We felt He was still using us for His purposes. And He still is!
When Charles crossed over that Saturday night, January 26, 2008, I was on the bed with him. I felt his life leave him from his feet to the top of his head. As his life left him, I felt a veil come over me from the top of my head to my feet. It was that “peace that passes all understanding.” We’ve heard it mentioned in sermons and in prayers. When it does come, you know it, you feel it! And a blessed peace it was. I had a strength I would never have believed I could have.
Final plans and arrangements were made. Lilly, our oldest great-granddaughter, wrote Grandpa a letter. She wrote about things they had done and things they talked about doing, but didn’t get to do. She wanted the letter to go with Grandpa. I asked if she’d like it read and she said “no”. Then a couple of days later she let me read it - after rewriting it because it had too many tears on it. And she wanted to read it at his services. She did and the original letter went with Grandpa.
The Thursday memorial service was at Haygood United Methodist Church in Va. Beach, our church home for 45 years. I’m told there were over 400 there. Charles would never have believed so many would honor him that way. The second service was here at Mt. Zion UMC and another full church. The family was honored by the presence of all. Following the service and reception the family and I went home exhausted. After changing clothes, I dropped into Charles’ chair and looked out the front door. It suddenly was getting darker and darker. I told the family "It's over. It's finished now."
Then the storm hit!! It was dark as night. The wind blew so hard - I didn't know pine trees could bend so far and stand back up!!! The thunder and lightening cracked and popped. The rain poured down sideways. All I could think about was how my life now seemed just like that. All blown to smithereens! And how God must have felt that terrible Friday when His Son died on that cross.
Then it started to ease up and got lighter outside. I noticed the neighbor’s house across the street getting light and brighter. I told Bob and Tom, our sons, to look outside at Christine’s house. It was turning gold! They went to the door and told me to get there quick. There in the middle of the door was the boldest rainbow I have ever seen. It was the rainbow of rainbows!!! It was the widest I have ever seen!!! In all the travels Charles and I have taken we’ve often taken pictures of rainbows. Last summer we both remarked how we’d not seen a rainbow since living in Grandy.
Well!! Here was the rainbow of rainbows! The brightest in color and most distinction between colors of any other! I told all of them this was my rainbow from Dad. If you’d driven by the house about that time you’d have thought we were a bunch of nuts who’d never seen a rainbow before. We were all hugging, crying, taking pictures.
I knew it was Charles saying, “Here’s your Grandy rainbow, honey. It’s the grandest ever. For 7 months we’ve weathered the storm, just as you did the one that just happened. Now it’s over. This is my resurrection and only a piece of God’s glory for you and everyone else to see. What I’m seeing is far beyond the beauty of this.” I told the family that this was Dad’s resurrection! He’s alive and having a great time, he‘s well, he’s whole, and no more cancer.
That Sunday, Pastor David mentioned the rainbow when he was speaking of God’s glory all around us. But, maybe selfishly, I knew that was MY rainbow from Charles and we shared it with all who could and would see it. Once again, that peace that passes all understanding came over me and I knew all will be right with us. It will take some time, but I know I’ll make it. I still have my “pity parties” occasionally.
When Charles crossed over, I jumped into God’s arms and asked him to carry me for a while. I was drained! God is still carrying me. There is only one set of footprints in the sand for now. I’m not ready for Him to put me down on my own two feet just yet. One of these days I will, but not just yet.
God took us to it - and He took us through it. His love and mercy are right there for the asking and taking. We asked and we took! All of you can step up and step out into that love. It’s the best way to travel each and every day. Amen
Point to Ponder: God's peace truly passes all understanding and believing.
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