A Promise Fulfilled

My only sister and sibling remaining out of a family of six children born to Walter and Victoria Elliott, Avanelle Elliott Newman, died on July 14, 2011 at the age of 82. She would have been 83 had she lived until November 12. Avanelle was born in Dekalb County near Elliott’s Crossroad which is located about 3 miles south of the small town of Henagar, Alabama in the year of 1928. In 1933 my parents and three children moved to Trion, Georgia for work in the Riegel Glove Mill and Cotton Mill.

Before Avanelle died, she learned that her term insurance had expired so there were not sufficient funds for the burial expenses. Individual Christians of the Buckingham Road church of Christ in Garland, Texas where she was a member and some relatives gave the money needed to have her body cremated. Her daughter and only child, her three grandchildren, along with the congregation, had a memorial service for “Ninny” on Sunday, July 24. I shall always remember the compassion and love manifested toward my beloved sister by the members of the Buckingham Road congregation. After several weeks had past, I make arrangements for her remains to be sent to the Kirby Funeral Home in Henagar. On Thursday, October 6, Virginia and I drove up to Henagar and took possession of my sister’s remains. A cousin of mine, Wendell Elliott, of Rainsville, Alabama and I prepared a grave site where my sister’s remains would be buried. There was a space between the graves of our parents and our younger brother Frank who was killed in an accident at the age of 35 where my sister’s remains would eventually rest. Avanelle had always expressed a desire to be buried in the Unity Cemetery next to our parents and I promised her if it was possible, I would fulfill her wish.

Over the 50+ years that I have been preaching and speaking at funerals and at graveside services, I had never experienced such as this one. On a beautiful autumn Friday morning, October 9, 2011, I spoke in the presence of a few relatives and friends who had gathered in the quietness of the rural surroundings near an old church building. I spoke of Avanelle’s struggle to survive after she became a single mother with a teenage daughter to rear. The daughter earned a degree  from a university and became a nurse. When our mother died in 1988, Avanelle moved to the greater Dallas, Texas area where Vickie and her family lived. She existed only on a meager income but she survived. She suffered with emphysema for years and finally cancer took her life.

When most of the relatives and friends had left, I went to the car and removed the container that held my sister’s remains. I still think of the weight of the ashes in my hands that once was my dear sister. I knelt down beside the opening in the earth and with love in my heart and as gentle as I could, I placed the container in the small grave. I then took a shovel and began filling the opening with the dirt previously removed by my cousin and me. Needlessly to say, I had difficulty in controlling my emotions. We all made sure that the sod of grass that I had removed was situated just right and Virginia placed a vase of flowers that she had bought where the marker I ordered for my sister’s grave would eventually rest. When we drove away, my emotions were mixed but I felt like I had done what my sister desired and that was to be buried next to mother and dad. I had fulfilled my promise.

He Is In Heaven

I received word that a good Christian friend of mine who was a member of a congregation where I had preached several years ago was in a hospital in critical condition, having suffered a series of strokes. The problem was at that time I did not know in which hospital he was a patient. As soon as I could I called his home telephone number hoping that some of the family members might be there. The person who answered the telephone was a granddaughter of my good friend. I asked, “Where is your grandfather?” In a very sweet loving voice and without a moment of hesitation she replied, “He is in heaven”. Of course it was then that I knew my brother in Jesus Christ had passed from this life into eternity to be in the care of our Heavenly Father. I thought to myself, what an impression this brother had made on his granddaughter that she would speak with such confidence concerning her grandfather’s eternal destiny.

Now I realize that only God knows for certain the eternal destiny of every person who dies. We do know that “the dust will return to the earth as it as, And the spirit will return to God who gave it” (Ecclesiastes 12:7). And the child of God does have this precious promise from our Lord Jesus Christ: “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. “And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die…” (John 11:25, 26). The apostle John later wrote in 1 John 5:11-13: “And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life…” This is the blessed assurance that a true believer in Christ, one who has been redeemed by the blood of our Lord and is a child of God has when he passes from this life into eternity. This young lady’s grandfather was a Christian and that is why she answered me with such confidence.

I habitually read the obituaries in the local and area newspapers because of my acquaintances of numerous friends and brethren. Often the writer will say that their loved one has gone to be with the Lord and similar statements regarding their relative or friend. This may or may not be true. God will be the judge and not man (Matthew 25:31-46). Some people die without believing and obeying Jesus Christ and some may be unfaithful members of the church but their survivors desire that they might all inherit eternal life. But stating such in an obituary would not make it so. Regardless of what might have been written or what some preacher might say at the funeral service regarding an individual will not have any effect on the deceased person’s eternal destiny. That has already been decided. And the person who died made that decision while he lived. Jesus Christ has given each individual a choice when He said: “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there many who go in by it. “Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it” (NKJV, Matthew 7:13, 14).

Think, my friends, what will your precious loved ones say when you pass from this life into eternity. Will there be any hope in their hearts that you will be with God? Or, will there only be sadness, sorrow and grief, knowing that you did not have the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior and that your life was not lived for Him? While the mercy of God lingers, you have the time to believe in Jesus Christ as the Son of God and that He died for you on Calvary’s cross. In true repentance submit to His will and be immersed for the remission of your sins (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:36-38). If, as a child of God, you have not been faithful, repent and confess your sins to your Heavenly Father (1 John 1:6-10). When death overtakes us, it is then too late for us to have anything to do with our eternal destiny.

The Clock of Life

The clock of life is wound but once

And no man has the power

To tell just where the hands will stop,

At late or early hour.

To lose one's wealth is sad indeed,

To lose one's health is more.

To lose one's soul is such a loss

As no man can restore.

The present only is our own.

Live, love, toil with a will.

Place no faith in 'tomorrow'

For the clock may then be still.

~ Robert H Smith

"It Was God's Will" (Part 1)

No doubt it was a horrendous collision when the 18 wheeler crossed the media and crashed into the van that was carrying several members of the same family and a couple of friends who were on their way to a wedding in Iowa . The dead were identified as belonging to the Mennonite religion. These people manifest a loving and forgiving spirit. An individual who is also a Mennonite stated that the accident that killed a total of eleven people was “God’s will”. In the television movie ‘Amish Grace’ which is about the man who entered an Amish school building and killed several children and the forgiving spirit of the Amish people, one of the elders stated that it was “God who determined who would be killed.” My question is, how did these individuals know that it was God who determined that eleven people be killed in that accident on I-65 in the state of Kentucky and the poor children who were killed by a mad man? Was it true that it was “God’s will” simply because these individuals believe and teach that? Did God reveal this knowledge to these individuals? Where in the Bible does it state that it was “God’s will”? And yet many people who believe in God and in His Word often say to grieving loved ones when a tragedy occurs and takes the life of a family member that it was “God’s will”. What does it mean that it was “God’s will” when a tragedy occurs and lives are lost or someone is crippled for life?

Are you saying that it is “God’s will” when a drunk man lost control of his car and ran over a child who was playing in the front yard at home? I knew of a preacher and an elder who had been studying with a family and who were returning home following the class and were killed by a drunken man who hit their car at a high rate of speed. Was this “God’s will” that these two Christian gentleman lose their lives in this manner? I had a personal friend who was on his way to teach a Bible class in a south Alabama city for a Christian College when two drunks in an automobile came over a hill and hit his car and all three were killed instantly. Was this “God’s will”? Are we to blame God for all the accidents, tragedies and atrocities that occur in this life?

Usually it is Bible believing individuals who exclaim that it was “God’s will” when some tragedy occurs and a loved one dies. While their intention is to express sympathy and compassion to the ones hurting, the person expressing this sentiment may not in fact understand what he is saying. The victims involved in the accident might have been good moral people and believers and family members and friends would have the convictions that the deceased ones had gone to be with the Lord. But have you ever considered the view from the family members of the one who caused the accident when several people were killed? Would they say that it was “God’s will” that he was drunk and driving recklessly and hit a child playing in the yard or that he crossed over to the other lane of traffic and hit another vehicle and killed a person or persons? I think not. At this time authorities do not know why the driver of the 18 wheeler hit the van and killed ten innocent people and himself. He may have been intoxicated, high on drugs, he may have had a heart attack or he may have just been overly tired and fell asleep. The driver may have been a God fearing, Bible believing individual. Are you willing to say that it was ‘God’s will’ that he should kill those ten people in that van? Will he be condemned to eternal perdition because it was ‘God’s will’ that he committed such an awful deed? What I am trying to say is that we should be very careful in attributing every act of violence or the tragedies in life to being “God’s will”. In essence we are blaming God for these occurrences and this alone causes people to wonder what kind of God he is that we love and serve. There are scores of individuals who have become atheists or agnostics due to believing that it was “God’s will” when a child or other family members were killed in an accident.

God is sovereign. He is Almighty in power and He can do what He chooses to do in this life. But He created man in His own image and one trait that he placed in mankind was the power of choice. God’s sovereignty and man’s volition operate concurrently. God does not force His will on mankind and in contrast mankind can decide not to comply with the will of his Creator. God also established laws of nature and when they are violated there are consequences to be suffered. Gravity, though unseen by human eyes, is a law of God for the good of mankind. If a man who is drunk falls off a high building he will suffer the consequences because he has violated a law of nature. I knew of a fine Christian lady who tripped and fell into the Little River Canyon in north Alabama . She suffered the same consequence as did the drunken man who fell off the high building. Both died because they violated the law of gravity. Was it God’s will that they both die in this manner? Yes, if you understand that all things that happen in this life occur because of the permissive will of God. And when two vehicles traveling at a rate of speed collide there will be terrible results to occur, even the loss of lives. But that does not mean that tragedies occur because God determines such to take place. God does not force a man to drink alcoholic beverages to the point of becoming drunk. That is man’s choice. God does not will that the same drunken individual drive his automobile over an innocent two year old child and kill her. Neither did He determine (over the free will of man) that the driver of an 18 wheeler truck hit the van that killed ten innocent people but He did permit it to happen. And that is a tremendous difference. He allowed it to happen but to say that He determined it so is a world of difference. (To be continued)

Have You Hugged Your Child Today?

I know that this question has been asked millions of times and has been around for many years but it is still a legitimate question. It was on a Sunday night that a friend called and informed us of a tragedy that affected a great number of relatives and even a greater number of friends. It is such a sad story that lingers in your heart and very hard to dismiss from your thoughts even when you retire at night.

Brian and Kristy Gray and their precious little princess Helen had been to visit grandparents, great-grandparents and other relatives in Alabama and were on their way home in Winder, Georgia on Sunday afternoon following Thanksgiving Day when traffic on I85 in Georgia slowed almost to a halt for some unknown reason. It was then a driver hit the rear of their van at a high rate of speed and the impact was so strong that the almost three year old Helen was killed immediately. Kristy, the mother and wife, was critically injured while Brian was knocked unconscious. In a moment of time their world was turned upside down. Kristy is facing several surgeries on her back but there is the possibility that she may never walk again. Their families have gathered to render support in any way that they can. Friends and complete strangers are praying daily for this fine Christian couple.

I immediately emailed our four children and asked them to hug our grandchildren for their grandparents and while doing that, hug one another. All of our grandchildren live hundreds of miles from us. I watched a video of our youngest grandchild Annie sing a song about 'Grandparents Day’ at her school in Colorado Springs that her father had sent us. I felt so strongly that I needed to hug a child that I went across the street to visit friends who have three children, the youngest being a beautiful girl named Josie Lee, age seventeen months, and she came to me and I gave her a big hug. The Lord Jesus Christ loved children. When He was asked “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” He then “called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will no means enter the kingdom of heaven. “Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. “Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me” (Matthew 18:1-5). In Matthew 19:13-15 we read, “Then little children were brought to Him that He might put His hands on them and pray, but the disciples rebuked them. But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven.” And He laid His hands on them and departed from there.” No doubt heaven will be greatly populated by little children who died in their innocence. The ‘little princess’ Helen is now safe in the arms of Jesus. The death of a child or a grandchild must be one of the most difficult things to deal with in this life. Our tears and heartaches are for those loved ones who remain on this side of eternity. While many of us cannot empathize with Brian and Kristy, we do weep with them (Romans 12:15). I encourage you to send a card to Brian and Kristy Gray at 1421 Langdon Park Court , Winder, Georgia 30680. And be sure to hug your children today.

Hugs From Heaven

When you feel a gentle breeze

Caress you when you sigh

It's a hug sent from Heaven

From your loved one way up high.

If a soft and tender raindrop

Lands upon your nose

She's added a small kiss

As fragile as a rose. If a song you hear fills you

With a feeling of sweet love

It's a hug sent from Heaven

From someone special up above.
If you awaken in the morning

To a bluebird's chirping song

It's music sent from Heaven

To cheer you all day long. If tiny little snowflakes

Land upon your face

It's a hug sent from Heaven

Trimmed with Angel lace.
So keep the joy in your heart

When you're lonely my dear parents

Hugs that are sent from Heaven

A broken heart will mend.

~ Charlotte Anselmo ~
(Slightly edited by me, RE)

In Memory of Byron L. Benson

If you called him at his home it would indeed be a rarity to reach him. You would get his answering machine and hear him say, “You have reached the BENson residence…” I really don’t know when he slept. He was always on the go somewhere. He was consistently doing something for his family or visiting the hospitals or training his grandchildren to eat catfish downtown at the Farmers Market Café. He was a connoisseur of good country cooking. Since he spent so much of his time in the lower part of Montgomery County and in Crenshaw County, the people at Chic’s in Highland Home or the Chicken Shack in Luverne would have known him by name. I have never known any gospel preacher who attended more gospel meetings than Byron. Oh, how he loved to sing. Regardless of the weather or the distance, you could count on Bryon being present for these occasions. He served on the Board of Regents of Amridge University (I encouraged him to do so). He was on the planning committee for the Capitol City Prayer Breakfast and he would call 40-50 people to attend this bi-monthly service. No one worked more diligently for this good work. He and I alternated in being the MC for this event. Often we would take a jab at one another in fun.

Byron loved to preach. He was zealous for the local congregation where he labored part time (a misnomer in his case). He seldom missed preaching on Sundays while he was with the Grady congregation for some 36 years. His last work was with the Capitol Heights church in Montgomery (5 years). He loved to do his radio program live. Brethren knew they could depend on him for brotherhood news regarding singings, gospel meetings, lectureships, etc. It seems that he knew everyone and everything that was going on among the congregations in central and south Alabama. He preached for some 37 years on the radio, assuming this role following the beloved Clyde Fulmer.

Byron was my friend. Virginia and I helped to sing for the wedding of Byron and Carolyn which was conducted in the West End church building some 52 years ago. Byron, Carolyn, Roger and Helen Dill and Virginia and I would often eat together on special occasions such as birthday and wedding anniversaries as well as other times. On one occasion, the total number of years of marriage between the three couples was 150 years. Our server couldn’t believe it. Once, while we were enjoying a meal together, I found a rather large insect in my glass of tea after I had taken a couple of drinks. In a very short time the manager was at my side apologizing for the incident and gave me my dinner free of charge. From that time on Byron and Roger would ask me if I brought my insect with me when we would be eating together.
Christian friendship is one of God’s richest blessings. I shall miss the many telephone calls from Byron as we talked about Sunday’s assemblies and many other subjects. He retired from ATT&T several years ago. He believed in communicating via the telephone. But he didn’t have much confidence in emailing others or in taking the time to read the ones sent to him. It was in April of one year when he called me and said that he had just read my Christmas card I had sent him the previous December. We enjoyed a good laugh together. When I would call him on his cell phone I would usually ask him, “Byron, where are you?” He would be somewhere doing something for someone. If I could call him now and ask, “Byron, where are you?” he would say something like “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain”, or, “to depart and be with Christ, which is far better” (Philippians 1:21, 23). This is the blessed assurance that we have in our Lord Jesus Christ. My good friend you may now rest from your labors of love but your works and influence will continue for generations to come (Revelation 14:13).

A Girl Named Skylar

A long time before this beautiful girl named Skylar was born, I visited the church where she and her family worshiped together. It was in 1953 or 1954, I was a freshman in college at the time, and went with a preacher friend and his family one Sunday to worship with this group of Christians. I remember it so well because the brethren at that time used real wine in the communion. I didn’t know it was wine, and not just grape juice, before I drank it but I will guarantee you that I knew it was wine after I swallowed it. Forget worship, I coughed and gagged for the next thirty minutes.

This small congregation is located just south of a community called Deatsville, Alabama. The building sets a good distance off the highway. There are massive oak trees practically on every side of the building with large roots protruding from the ground. The steps leading up to the front entrance are steep and many. The setting is serene and pastoral as a rural church building should be. Over the intervening years I have preached in gospel meetings, spoken on special occasions and have ‘filled in’ for the regular preacher for this congregation numerous times. During these visits with the Cold Springs Church I became acquainted with most of the families that attend the assemblies there. And that brings me to Skylar Norton.

On the Sunday mornings when Virginia and I would arrive at the church building for Sunday School usually Rick and his two children would already be there. Jamie, the wife and mother would arrive later. The father would open the building and he and his two children, Skylar and Tyler would begin various duties. Usually Tyler would begin sweeping the leaves off the front porch and the steps. Skylar would go to the room where the communion bread and grape juice were located. She then would prepare the communion for use in the worship assemblies. It seems that this was her job. She did it for a long time. Virginia tried to help her once and she replied kindly, “I can do it myself.” Skylar was a beautiful and sweet child. You could see it in her eyes and hear it in her voice. She was always ‘lady-like’.

She was a Daddy’s girl. He would take her hunting with him and give her the opportunity to harvest a deer. She and her younger brother were inseparable. She was greatly loved by all her family. I knew her grandfather Tillman while we were in college. It was on a Friday evening of October 3, 2008 that as a member of the Holtville High School Marching Band she was preparing for the football game that old Death descended like a tornado and struck down this precious thirteen year old child in the presence of her classmates. But Death did not get the victory because God sent His angels quickly to gather the spirit of Skylar and brought that lovely child to rest in a paradise prepared for His children.

There was much rejoicing by the host of angels that such a beautiful child had been brought home. But on this side of eternity there were the hearts of her father, mother, brother and all her family and friends that were broken. There were uncontrollable emotions being vented through the rivers of tears that were being shed. As frail human beings we began to ask “Why”? It is not that we doubted God but as little children we just did not understand why such a beautiful child as Skylar should have her short life to end so soon on this earth. When all the disasters struck Job and that included the deaths of his ten children he still said, “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him.” Perhaps in that better land we will know the answers to our questions about the tragedies we have had to suffer in this life. Here is a rather lengthy poem I want to leave with you that hopefully it will give comfort to her parents and loved ones.

“GOD’S LENT CHILD”
(Author unknown)

“I’ll lend you, for a little while,
A child of mine,” God said,
“For you to love the while he lives,
And mourn for when he’s dead.


It may be six or seven years
Or twenty-two or three;
But will you, ‘til I call him back,
Take care of him for me?


He’ll bring his charms to gladden you
And, should his stay be brief,
You’ll have his lovely memories
As a solace for your grief.


I cannot promise he will stay,
Since all from earth return;
But there are lessons taught below
I want this child to learn.


I’ve looked the whole world over
In search for teachers true;
And from the things that crowd life’s land
I have chosen you.


Now, will you give him all your love
Nor think the labor vain?
Nor hate me when I come to take
This lent child back again?


I fancied that I heard them say:
“Dear Lord, Thy will be done.
For all the joys Thy child will bring
The risk of grief we’ll run.


We’ll shelter him with tenderness,
We’ll love him while we may –
And for the happiness we’ve known
Forever grateful stay.

But should Thy Angel call for him
Much sooner than we’ve planned,
We’ll brave the bitter grief that comes
And try to understand.”

A Heart Warming Story

You could not help but to be touched by the moving story related in the local newspaper a few years ago regarding a young boy’s death and his last request, that his heart be given to a girl he secretly loved. You see she was dying because her heart was malfunctioning. She faced certain death unless a donor could be found to give her a healthy heart. It was a true story that books are written about and movies are made. In a world wherein most of the news deals with crime, violence, threats of war, famines, earthquakes and other disasters, natural and man-made, it was so heart warming to hear of a tender story that made you feel sad and happy at the same time. It was sad because a young boy died, but happy that a young girl’s life had been prolonged.

There is another sweet story recorded in the Holy Scriptures that should move us to tears because of the death of a young man, Jesus of Nazareth, age 33. You see he knew that mankind was suffering from an awful malady. The sickness from which there was no earthly cure was a fatal heart disease called sin. The prophet Jeremiah described the symptoms in this manner: “The heart if deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it (Jeremiah 17:9)? The only remedy was the precious blood of the Lamb of God (Ephesians 1:7). But, this meant that Jesus would have to die for all men. His death on Calvary was not by accident. It was “by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God” (Acts 2:23 ). Furthermore, the Lord willingly laid down his life for us (John 10:15, 17, 18). “Greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13 ).

If you would be saved from sin and a fate worse than physical death, you must respond to heaven’s gift, the death of Jesus Christ on your behalf. Please consider that Jesus loved you and shed his precious blood for you nearly two thousand years ago. Please obey from the heart the gospel of Jesus Christ that you might be free from sin and that you might live a new life in the Lord (Romans 6:17, 18; 2 Corinthians 5:17 ).

If the story about the boy who died and donated his heart to a girl he loved so that she might live touches you, you should be moved emotionally at the tender story of Jesus and his love that motivated him to give his life on Calvary that you might be saved now from sin and have the hope of eternal life with Him and all the redeemed.