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Thursday,
September 17,
2020
Water Pump in
church parking lot in rural Lebanon County.
"God's
Providential Care"
Note:
Today's message is different than most but we feel
it may be of blessing to many of our readers.
Listen
to this message on your audio player.“My
thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your
ways My ways,” declares the LORD. “As the heavens
are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher
than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts”
(Isaiah 55:8,9). "Wherefore comfort one another
with these words" (1 Thessalonians 4:18).
In
last Friday's message we shared about a tragic
accident that took the life of a nearly three
year old boy named Tylan on Sept 8. He was the
grandson of our neighbors and long-time
friends, Leon and Jane.
His
mother, Jalisa, was only about 12 when we
moved up the road from them nearly 20 years
ago, so we had the pleasure of watching her
grow up in this godly family along with her
five siblings. She married a young man from
their church and the Lord blessed them with
five children. Tylan was second to the
youngest and would have turned three on the
day of his funeral.
Brooksyne
attended the funeral service Monday afternoon
and was moved by the presence of the Holy
Spirit as God spoke through those who led. She
shares her reflections today as a means of
encouragement and teaching. It was an
interesting experience both spiritually and
culturally.
The
service was held at Martin's Mennonite Church,
located on a country road in Lebanon County
with the water pump in our lead photo in
front. Though Stephen and I have attended
church services and a wedding at an old order
Mennonite church we’ve never attended a
funeral.
When
I arrived the parking lot was filled with
hundreds of people; women, girls and babies
grouped together, the men and boys grouped
together. My car being the only one not
black stood out as did my attire. (I was
dressed in a white blouse and long black
skirt.) Distinctive with this conference,
all members drive black vehicles and are
colloquially referred to as “black bumper”
Mennonites (since before bumpers were
painted a matching color they painted their
bumpers black). The women and most of the
girls were dressed all in black from their
neck to ankles, clearly their funeral attire
along with the usual head coverings. The men
dressed in white shirts and black dress
slacks, many wearing their fedora hats.
The church building sat empty while
the congregation waited outside for the family
members and relatives to arrive in the
"funeral wagon" with Tylan’s little body.
After their arrival, the men, women and
children still in separate lines walked one by
one past little Tylan’s small coffin and saw
him for the last time, the family being the
last to view their precious son. During the
viewing there was an absolute hush, a reverent
and solemn setting greater than any I’ve ever
been in, and I’ve been in plenty. Mothers were
quick to quiet their babies or take them
aside.
In customs we are familiar with the graveside burial follows the typical funeral service, but after the family spent their last minutes with Tylan, the pallbearers (four older children, perhaps cousins) carried Tylan’s casket to the cemetery where he was to be buried, and we followed. A very comforting committal sermon was presented and we sang “Jesus Loves Me” before the family members took turns lifting the four spades to fill Tylan’s tiny grave plot with fresh soil.
Afterward we entered the church with
seating on all four sides, the preacher
standing near the middle along with several
others ministers sitting at a table. Men and
boys sat on one side, ladies and girls on the
other.
I felt very privileged to witness
the love and support, the solemn and
compassionate response of the congregation who
were there to love, encourage, and feel with
this young grieving family their monumental
loss, along with the grandparents and many
other relatives.
The pastor spoke directly to the
parents and children comforting words,
reassuring them that God would walk them
through this grief process. He cautioned them
not to see Tylan’s death as an accident but as
an appointment with God. He quoted “A
little child shall lead them” (Isaiah
11:6) and in this instance their child would
lead them to heaven since he would be the
first of their family to live there.
He shared and commented on Scripture
verses that the family gave him, ones that had
been consoling to them since Tylan’s death.
Remarkably, they were all passages I have
memorized over the years, but now they took on
fresh and applicable meaning as he read them
in this setting. (Psalm 23:1,4; Philippians
4:7; Psalm 34:1; Isaiah 26:3; 43:2; Revelation
4:11; Job 1:21; Hebrews 13:2).
Though my Christian background
differs greatly when it comes to traditions,
attire, hair style, color of vehicle, and
numerous other differences I felt so connected
with the teaching and application of
Scripture. My spirit was fed and my emotions
warmed by the visible compassion and empathy
shown to the family. Clearly, no one
understood why a young, innocent child would
be taken so early, but we all accepted that it
was in the providence of God, and we stand
upon God’s words that declare, “My
thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are
your ways My ways,” declares the LORD. “As
the heavens are higher than the earth, so
are My ways higher than your ways and My
thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah
55:8,9).
Be encouraged today,
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily
prayer:
Father, before we
are born You know the days allotted for us on
this side of eternity. Our time may be brief or
we may live to be aged, but how we choose to
live is of greatest importance. Help us to
recognize Your sovereign plan in our lives so
that we can trust You in all matters and
proclaim with the Psalmist, "I will bless the
Lord at all times. His praise shall continually
be in my mouth." Amen.
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources
"Safe
In the Arms of Jesus" Video sung by George
Beverly Shea This song was
written by Fanny Crosby in 1868. Fanny, the
blind hymnist married in 1858 and one year later
the couple suffered a tragedy that shook the
very heart of Fanny and her husband, Alexander.
The loss of her child was devastating but
she never spoke about it (it's unclear whether
it was a boy or girl) except in her oral
biography, "God gave us a tender babe," and
"soon the angels came down and took our infant
up to God and His throne." Some feel that she
wrote this hymn with her baby in mind:
"Safe
in the arms of Jesus, safe on His gentle breast;
There
by His love o'ershaded, sweetly my soul shall
rest."
Additional
thoughts from Brooksyne: There are two
groups of people when it comes to viewing a
cemetery; those who like to walk slowly and read
the headstones and those who quickly walk away
from the cemetery. I fall into the first group
scanning as many headstones as I can, looking
for familiar last names, the age of the
deceased, coincidence of dates like “Were they
born the same year as I or a family member?”,
“How many years were they married?” I especially
look for any wording or Scripture that might
indicate the deceased is a believer.
Often
I walk through our cemetery just up the street
from our house. I know several who are buried
there, both young and old, since we’ve now been
living in Mount Joy almost 20 years. Early on I
came across a child's tombstone with the
Scripture, "Let the little children come to
Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the
kingdom of heaven" Luke 19:14. When
I saw the child's date of birth, March 10, 1989,
it took my breath away. Ester was born March 9,
1989.
Ester
was born with a complex heart disease requiring
multiple heart operations and will continue to
require cardiovascular intervention all her
life. But in the framed
photo attached to young Michael's tombstone, he
appears to be a very healthy boy holding a
baseball bat preparing to hit an approaching
ball. In the providence of God Ester is now 31,
a supernatural and medical miracle, but this
healthy looking boy lived only seven years and
two months. The mystery of it all! There are
quite a few babies buried in our neighborhood
cemetery, going back to the early 1800’s and
every time I see one I consider the deep pain
the parents and family members felt, many to
their dying day.
Jalisa
expressed her love to Tylan in three separate
poems and we share one of those poems today:
That
Little Boy of Mine
A tiny, turned up nose,
Two cheeks just like a rose.
So sweet from head to toes,
That little boy of mine.
Two arms that held me tight,
A forehead I kissed goodnight.
Two eyes that shined so bright,
That little boy of mine.
No one will ever know
Just what his coming has meant.
Because we loved him so,
He’s something God has sent.
His face is now beaming,
In heaven we know, sublime.
He has gone to be with Jesus,
That little boy of mine.
By Jalisa Brubaker
-Sept. 9, 2020
A tiny, turned up nose,
Two cheeks just like a rose.
So sweet from head to toes,
That little boy of mine.
Two arms that held me tight,
A forehead I kissed goodnight.
Two eyes that shined so bright,
That little boy of mine.
No one will ever know
Just what his coming has meant.
Because we loved him so,
He’s something God has sent.
His face is now beaming,
In heaven we know, sublime.
He has gone to be with Jesus,
That little boy of mine.
By Jalisa Brubaker
-Sept. 9, 2020
Coming up for those who may be interested: We are joining a group from our area going down to Washington DC on Saturday, September 26 for a prayer march called, "The Return, National and Global Day of Prayer and Repentance". See here for info. America is in deep trouble so let’s call on God’s power and a movement of the Holy Spirit to bring Repentance and Revival to our land! You can do this wherever you live.
The
corn's been harvested and autumn is in the
air. Yesterday we did some lawn and garden
work, including trimming bushes and trees and
mowing the lawn.
Stephen
made several trips on the tractor trail to the
brush pile with Ester and our two dogs joining
them for one trip.
They
hauled several stalks of leftover corn in the
field to be used for fall decorations.
Send a message to
Stephen & Brooksyne
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Scripture references are from The Holy Bible: New International Version. © 1984 by International Bible Society; NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. and the King James Version.
Personal Mission Statement: "I am created by God to bring Him glory. Through God's Son Jesus Christ I have been redeemed and make it my life's goal to please the Lord. My mission in life is to honor God through my faith and obedience and prepare myself and all whom I may influence for eternity."
Scripture references are from The Holy Bible: New International Version. © 1984 by International Bible Society; NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. and the King James Version.
Personal Mission Statement: "I am created by God to bring Him glory. Through God's Son Jesus Christ I have been redeemed and make it my life's goal to please the Lord. My mission in life is to honor God through my faith and obedience and prepare myself and all whom I may influence for eternity."
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Weber - All Rights Reserved
Daily Encouragement Net - 495 Kraybill Church Road - Mount Joy, PA 17552 USA
Daily Encouragement Net - 495 Kraybill Church Road - Mount Joy, PA 17552 USA