Rittman, Ohio
I just returned from Rittman, OH. Rittman is a small town about 30 SW of Akron. I literally spent all day in the airport and on airplanes both coming and going. I boarded the plane in Austin at 8:00am (which means I arrived at the airport at 7:00am, which means I got up at 5:30am) and flew to Atlanta, GA then to Chicago, IL then to Akron, OH. I arrived in Akron at 4:30pm. The return flight was no different - board plane at 12:20 and arriving in Austin at 10:00pm taking the same route in reverse.
To top that off ... my luggage was didn't arrive at the same time I did in Akron - I hate flying through O'Hare airport! So Saturday night I am at the church in the missions apartment waiting for the carrier service to deliver my luggage. They say it will be sometime between 10:30pm and 2:45am. At 1:45 I'm wiped out and decided to call the airport and check on their 'progress.' I am told that everything is on track and I should be expecting my luggage in an hour at least.
An hour goes by and still no luggage. Understand, I don't have any clean clothes for Sunday, I would like to shave and deoterant would be nice as well. So it would really be nice if my luggage would arrive. I call again - "Yes sir! I just talked with the delivery person, your luggage should be there any time."
I ask, "Do they have the phone number to the place I am staying?" I'm told they do and I ask them to make sure he calls when he arrives. Great! By now it is 3:00am and I am dead tired. I make an executive decision to go to sleep and let the phone wake me, but just as a precaution, I also set my alarm to awake at 7:00am to call again (in the case that I still don't have my luggage) and get a fresh shower.
It's now 7:00am - still no luggage. I call again! I am now told that it will be here by 10:00am. I tell them that this is unacceptable and that I need to be placed 1st on the list as I have a meeting that starts at 10:00am. I guess it worked because at 9:00am my luggage arrives. "Thank you Lord." With that ordeal overwith, I could better concentrate on my purpose and we had a great time.
With all of that said as an introduction to what I really want to say in this blog, I will continue ... so please read on. ;-)
The pastor I was with is Jerry Burton. Jerry is old enough to be my father, yet I feel as though we are friends. This is the second time I have had the honor to be with Jerry and both times he was more of a blessing to me that I to him. (IMHO) Let me share just a small nugget of his life and the culmination of events that have transpired over the past year.
Just about a year ago, Jerry's wife, Jean was diagnosed with cancer. After going to the Dr. and receiving both a CAT scan and PET scan (the difference is that the PET scan introduces a radioactive die into the body which attaches itself to any cancerous cells) they were informed that her condition was terminal.
As we sat at lunch on Sunday, Jerry poured out his heart to me, often removing his glasses to wipe the tears from his reddened eyes. I will admit to doing the same as I was touched so deeply.
He shared of her strength during this whole ordeal saying that, "God knew she could handle this kind of cancer." He shared how his son, who had been estranged from the family for many years came home immediately to be at his mothers side, and how that they, as father and son, were able to mend a lot of past hurts. More tears were wiped from our eyes. I have no idea if people were watching these two grown men eat, talk and cry, but I really didn't care at the moment. My attention was fix on what was beyond sorrow, it was a genuine display of the "peace of God that passes understanding."
He shared of 'tip-toeing' around the house so as not to wake her during her last days. He told, with tears streaming down his cheeks, of her last words, which I honestly cannot remember what they were as by this time I was trying to figure out whether to shout of cry. I do remember laughing outloud as tears ran down my face thinking, "God, give me the same strenght to be just a hint of this example presented here."
Finally Jerry shared of her last breath on earth. He told how she had been in a comma for three days. A Hospice nurse was there in the home to care for her as was a physical therapist. The family was all gathered around (this is when the tip-toeing was taking place). :-) He told of how they (the family) were sitting around her bed singing songs of glory and "Mom's favorite hymns."
Then it happened! His daughter said, "Let's sing 'When We All Get To Heaven,' mom wants that sung at her funeral." In harmony the group began to sing ... suddenly, eyes that had not opened in three day, opened and looked squarely into the face of her husband, took one final breath, smiled and transcended the portal from time into eternity - to see the face of the One she had longed to see.
The nurses moved to her side, placed the stethoscope to her chest and turned to the family to speak the obviouse, "She's gone." As the family wept in joy, hugs were exchanged all around and the hospice message therapist said to the nurse, "This is how people ought to die, I've never seen anything like this." I couldn't agree more.
Jerry missed one Sunday in the pulpit, then he climbed back into the drivers seat and continued to lead the people God called him to lead. Sure there is physical loss, and by admission, he misses here desparately, you cannot be married to someone 46-years and 1-week and not miss them. But he is pushing on, keeping himself busy and excited about what God has on the horizon.
As he shared the mixture of joy and sorrow I couldn't help but think of my own parents, of myself, my wife and my children. I couldn't help but think how James said - "For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time, and then it vanishes away."
The reality of it all is, life is a vapor. Death is a very real part of life. Mom's battle with cancer this years has been an ever present reminder to all of us of this very fact. So I just say this: "God give me the wisdom and strength to let your light shine in what for me will be my grand exit." Put another way, as a pastor once told his congregation after being diagnosed with a terminal illness, "I've done my best to teach you how to live for Christ. Now I want you to watch me as I show you how to die for Him."
To God be the Glory
Great things He has done
So loved He the world
That He gave us His Son
Thank you Lord Jesus!
To top that off ... my luggage was didn't arrive at the same time I did in Akron - I hate flying through O'Hare airport! So Saturday night I am at the church in the missions apartment waiting for the carrier service to deliver my luggage. They say it will be sometime between 10:30pm and 2:45am. At 1:45 I'm wiped out and decided to call the airport and check on their 'progress.' I am told that everything is on track and I should be expecting my luggage in an hour at least.
An hour goes by and still no luggage. Understand, I don't have any clean clothes for Sunday, I would like to shave and deoterant would be nice as well. So it would really be nice if my luggage would arrive. I call again - "Yes sir! I just talked with the delivery person, your luggage should be there any time."
I ask, "Do they have the phone number to the place I am staying?" I'm told they do and I ask them to make sure he calls when he arrives. Great! By now it is 3:00am and I am dead tired. I make an executive decision to go to sleep and let the phone wake me, but just as a precaution, I also set my alarm to awake at 7:00am to call again (in the case that I still don't have my luggage) and get a fresh shower.
It's now 7:00am - still no luggage. I call again! I am now told that it will be here by 10:00am. I tell them that this is unacceptable and that I need to be placed 1st on the list as I have a meeting that starts at 10:00am. I guess it worked because at 9:00am my luggage arrives. "Thank you Lord." With that ordeal overwith, I could better concentrate on my purpose and we had a great time.
With all of that said as an introduction to what I really want to say in this blog, I will continue ... so please read on. ;-)
The pastor I was with is Jerry Burton. Jerry is old enough to be my father, yet I feel as though we are friends. This is the second time I have had the honor to be with Jerry and both times he was more of a blessing to me that I to him. (IMHO) Let me share just a small nugget of his life and the culmination of events that have transpired over the past year.
Just about a year ago, Jerry's wife, Jean was diagnosed with cancer. After going to the Dr. and receiving both a CAT scan and PET scan (the difference is that the PET scan introduces a radioactive die into the body which attaches itself to any cancerous cells) they were informed that her condition was terminal.
As we sat at lunch on Sunday, Jerry poured out his heart to me, often removing his glasses to wipe the tears from his reddened eyes. I will admit to doing the same as I was touched so deeply.
He shared of her strength during this whole ordeal saying that, "God knew she could handle this kind of cancer." He shared how his son, who had been estranged from the family for many years came home immediately to be at his mothers side, and how that they, as father and son, were able to mend a lot of past hurts. More tears were wiped from our eyes. I have no idea if people were watching these two grown men eat, talk and cry, but I really didn't care at the moment. My attention was fix on what was beyond sorrow, it was a genuine display of the "peace of God that passes understanding."
He shared of 'tip-toeing' around the house so as not to wake her during her last days. He told, with tears streaming down his cheeks, of her last words, which I honestly cannot remember what they were as by this time I was trying to figure out whether to shout of cry. I do remember laughing outloud as tears ran down my face thinking, "God, give me the same strenght to be just a hint of this example presented here."
Finally Jerry shared of her last breath on earth. He told how she had been in a comma for three days. A Hospice nurse was there in the home to care for her as was a physical therapist. The family was all gathered around (this is when the tip-toeing was taking place). :-) He told of how they (the family) were sitting around her bed singing songs of glory and "Mom's favorite hymns."
Then it happened! His daughter said, "Let's sing 'When We All Get To Heaven,' mom wants that sung at her funeral." In harmony the group began to sing ... suddenly, eyes that had not opened in three day, opened and looked squarely into the face of her husband, took one final breath, smiled and transcended the portal from time into eternity - to see the face of the One she had longed to see.
The nurses moved to her side, placed the stethoscope to her chest and turned to the family to speak the obviouse, "She's gone." As the family wept in joy, hugs were exchanged all around and the hospice message therapist said to the nurse, "This is how people ought to die, I've never seen anything like this." I couldn't agree more.
Jerry missed one Sunday in the pulpit, then he climbed back into the drivers seat and continued to lead the people God called him to lead. Sure there is physical loss, and by admission, he misses here desparately, you cannot be married to someone 46-years and 1-week and not miss them. But he is pushing on, keeping himself busy and excited about what God has on the horizon.
As he shared the mixture of joy and sorrow I couldn't help but think of my own parents, of myself, my wife and my children. I couldn't help but think how James said - "For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time, and then it vanishes away."
The reality of it all is, life is a vapor. Death is a very real part of life. Mom's battle with cancer this years has been an ever present reminder to all of us of this very fact. So I just say this: "God give me the wisdom and strength to let your light shine in what for me will be my grand exit." Put another way, as a pastor once told his congregation after being diagnosed with a terminal illness, "I've done my best to teach you how to live for Christ. Now I want you to watch me as I show you how to die for Him."
To God be the Glory
Great things He has done
So loved He the world
That He gave us His Son
Thank you Lord Jesus!
posted by Brad at 10:41 AM
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