The other day I did a funeral for a 95 year old lady in our
church named Eileen Harrison. No big
deal right? Someone that old, has lived
a long life, has outlived her friends and family and is ready to go to Heaven;
do the funeral and move on. While it is
true that she outlived her husband, her family, and many friends, her funeral
has really impacted me in a strong way.
Don’t get me wrong, it was a normal funeral with songs, eulogies, and a
message. But it was not the funeral that
has struck me so deeply; it is what she said while she was in the hospital a
few days before her death. Just before
we left she said, “I am glad that I did what I did when I had the chance.” As we left the room, I turned to my assistant
pastor; and we both agreed that we had just heard a powerful statement. Here is a lady getting ready to meet the Lord
that was glad she did not waist the opportunities God gave her in life. I used
that phrase and preached from Mark 14:1-9 where Jesus said, “She hath done what
she could!” In the message, I retold the
story of her making that statement; and I gave illustrations of her
faithfulness through the years in teaching Sunday School, AWANA, and leading
the Dorcas Missionary Society at our church.
The family spoke of her love and Godly testimony, and we dismissed for
the graveside. It was a good funeral,
and she was a good lady. I was very
moved by the statement and exhorted those in attendance to not miss an
opportunity to serve the Lord while we have the chance, but then I heard something I did not know about this little frail 95 year old lady.
The executor of her estate, Dr. Hayes, came up to me and
asked if I knew about Eileen’s role in the forming of Community Bible Baptist
Church. I told him I knew a little but
not much. He then told me the events of how
our church came to be. Eileen was a
member of Central Bible Church that was steadily declining in number. The ministries were dying, and the outreach
to the neighborhood was all but dead.
The church was selling off assets to pay the bills, and it would not be
long before they were down to nothing. A
“brilliant” (heavy sarcasm) consultant was hired and for a fee reported to the
church that they should sell everything and close the doors. It was during this time that Eileen was
having a conversation with Dr. Hayes, and she told him of the church’s
condition. Dr. Hayes said he knew of a
church that was having the opposite problems, Bible Baptist pastored by Matt
Gibbs, to which Eileen responded that we need to get the churches talking. From there, attorney Jeff Adams was brought
in; and the leadership of the two churches began discussions that would
eventually lead to the merge of Central Bible and Bible Baptist to form
Community Bible Baptist! As Dr. Hayes
told me the details of the story, the magnitude of the statement she made grew
in my mind. It was not just Sunday
School, AWANA, and Dorcas where she did what she could; she was instrumental in
literally saving a dying church and helping establish what has gone on to be a thriving church! This was done when she was in her late
eighties when most people think not much can be done for the cause of
Christ! I took that information I
received after the funeral to the graveside where I related it to her family
and friends in closing out the service.
I again encouraged them to not miss any opportunity we are given to make
a difference for Christ.
I write today because I want Eileen’s
legacy to be remembered as a lady who was, “Glad I did what I did when I had
the chance”! How many of us are going to
lament the fact that we lived our lives and missed opportunity after
opportunity to do what we could when we could.
As Eileen came to the end of her pilgrimage, she taught me a valuable
lesson. She did what she could do and
ended up saving a church because of it! I thank the Lord for her and for the
many others who have gone before us and lived a life spoken of in Psalm
71. There the Word of God says, “O God,
thou hast taught me from my youth: and hitherto have I declared thy wondrous works.
Now also when I am old and grayheaded, O God, forsake me not; until I have
shewed thy strength unto this generation, and thy power to every
one that is to come.” (Psalms 71:17-18)
Do what you can do when you have the chance; and when you
come to the end of your journey, you will be glad you did!
