What a week it was!

We left Lewisville, TX on Monday morning, July 24th and drove to Greenville, TX.  We enjoyed a lunch meeting with an elder and the minister of the church in Greenville and then had ice cream with a friend and supporter.  In the afternoon, we drove to Texarkana and parked at the Hampton Road church.  They were having VBS so we went to the adult class.  Early Tuesday, we pulled out to drive to Paragould, Arkansas.

I received a phone call from my niece letting me know that my brother, Leon, passed away early Tuesday morning.  I didn't expect it that soon but I knew he didn't have long to live.   His two daughters took him to Houston to M.D. Anderson Cancer Center on the 20th but they only kept him one day and sent him home.  The cancer was too extensive and aggressive for treatment.  They identified it as beginning in the esophagus and spreading to the liver and lungs.  Since he could not get well, we know it's a blessing from God that he did not linger and suffer. 

Wednesday, July 27th, we drove the car from Paragould to Springfield, MO.  The four-hour drive was tedious with many curves.  The visit was great with the congregation on Wednesday night   We decided to return to Paragould that night since we had the drive to Oxford, MS to my brother's funeral the next day.  I made a huge mistake bringing us back another route that looked less curvy on the Atlas.  It was actually worse and although it still was a four-hour drive, it felt much longer since we did not arrive in Paragould until 1 a.m. 

Thursday afternoon we drove to Oxford to attend the visitation for my brother, Leon Tatum, from 5 - 8 p.m.   It was bittersweet with many family members there that I had not seen in many, many years.  I even saw a childhood friend from more than 60 years ago.   The many pictures my nieces found of Leon were beautifully displayed and the TV ran a tape of the highlights of his life.  We were back at the funeral home at 1 p.m. on Friday for a 2 p.m. funeral.  Elders from the church talked with us and told us about their last few visits to pray with Leon and give him words of comfort to give him peace and hope about his eternal home.  The preacher from the Oxford Church of Christ had a very consoling and comforting delivery, combining some of the facts of Leon's secular life and his life in the church.   The funeral home is owned by Christians and they were all accommodating in special ways so it was a funeral that Leon would have appreciated.  His loving children will miss him terribly because he's always been very involved in their lives.  Leon would have had his 81st birthday on Sunday.

Leon left the church for many years but it was always in his heart and I'm glad that more than three years ago he returned to be active in the fellowship.  It was a happy day for me when he phoned and casually said, "Pat, I wanted to let you know that I've gone back to church."   I never pushed him but I did comment a few times that I hoped he would consider returning.

I don't take credit for his change of heart.  I know our mother taught him well and he knew what was right and what he needed to do.  I never doubted that.  It really touched my heart when my niece showed me a card leaning inside the casket.  I read the outside (it had a little mustard seed enclosed in a little plastic ring) and a scripture about having "faith of a mustard seed."  Inside, the verse said something about hoping he would keep his faith and find peace...more but I can't remember the exact words.  Then it was signed, "With all my love, Mother."   I recognized my mother's writing and I looked up at my niece for an explanation.  She said, "This card was in his Bible and since he kept it all these years, it is going with him to the grave."   I thought that was a prefect thing to take with him - he's taken it with him for more than 25 years.   Mother died in 1983. 

We drove back to Paragould Friday night and visited with the good congregation known as Liberty Church of Christ on Sunday morning.  They have supported our work for many years and we are very appreciative of their loyal support.

We will be with the church in Jonesboro on Wednesday night.  It is about 30 minutes from Paragould.  Thursday, we will leave for Troy, TN and on into Kentucky to visit congregations in Western Kentucky over the next few weeks.

My days are filled with trying to catch up some work and rest.  I've been so tired!!  

My final thoughts on this segment of my blog are that no matter what we do or what we accomplish or accumulate in life, we are all reduced to the same status at death.  How we live now determines where we go then but we will all go out the same way - with the sadness and sting of death.  It's only a joy for those who are faithful in Christ.   We should make every day sure IN HIM because none of us have a promise of tomorrow.  God bless my readers and may God bless my family members.