"When Peace Like a peace like a River"

This is a service of the Life of Thanksgiving for the life of Sir John Wesley Thomas

When peace like a river attendeth my way When sorrows like sea billows roll Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say It is well, it is well with my soul

New Living Translation Chapter 40

Comfort, comfort my people,”

says your God.

2 “Speak tenderly to Jerusalem.

Tell her that her sad days are gone

and her sins are pardoned.

Yes, the LORD has punished her twice over

for all her sins.”

3 Listen! It’s the voice of someone shouting,

“Clear the way through the wilderness

for the LORD!

Make a straight highway through the wasteland

for our God!

Even youths will become weak and tired,

and young men will fall in exhaustion.

31 But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength.

They will soar high on wings like eagles.

They will run and not grow weary.

They will walk and not faint.

Is 40:30–31.

Brother John Wesley Thomas, (A Real Britisher and Methodist Name) was a man on a mission to develop in his family persons who would be “true to the needle... When I think of him I see a man known for the impeccable ways he dress. He was some one who was always seemingly fastidious and had expectations about himself and to a degree wanted to see people who held themselves up to these standards. When I pastored in WPB brother Thomas was my Head Deacon that wanted to see God house and the of life of the church function in an exceptional way. He treated the church and ministry with utmost respect. When you pulled up into the parking lot you knew this place was well cared for. From the lawn outside to the building itself. No part of the church was neglected as he kept his home. He also expected the deacons and those who function with him to serve at an optimum level. When the deacon perform their work like the priest and Levite of the Old Testament there was decorum and order in the way the did business in the church. Every part of his work was taken seriously and conducted with dignity.

Brother Thomas was a family man, he adored and loved his wife Joy. He cared for her and demonstrated faithful love and commitment till death do/ us part I would say he was a reckless lover. It was clear from early in their marriage they were close and brother Thomas and (Jesse)Joy would come to our family life session we had in WPB. She was the Treasurer for the church and a good one at that but their married exuded love and affection for each other but their came a time in their marriage when Joy could not function because of her sickness. He was a man of integrity and Despite the disability he care for her and protected her privacy for those who were not aware. He is what I say of men who serve like this a reckless lover. He was caring person it was demonstrated in his family. For 15 years he was her caretaker and I watched him as he honored her .

Brother Thomas loved his family and cared for his children and showed them respect and demonstrated how they should live before their family. By example and modeling he showed his children how to live and how they should carry themselves in a particular way because he developed the art of being respectful to his wife and to his children in this life and yet maintain a quiet strength as man of God .

Few days ago when I was ask to speak, the first thought that came to mind and what I reflect ed on in relation to John Wesley Thomas was the Hymn “When peace like a River attended my way, when sorry like seas billows roll.” Here was a man when confronted with myriads of challenges and who in the midst of these circumstances was able to stay calm and peaceful knowing he relied on a Savior who was able to keep him in the midst of the storm.

A few years ago when bother Thomas became sick I watched is children developed a plan for his care and executed the plan. They provided for his welfare and was careful to make sure he was well taken care for. The arrangements were as he would have wanted.

Earlier this year when this family decided to have a 90th birthday celebration. His children knew it was time to honor a man who all his life had honored them. It clear to me that they wanted to have no regrets and the person who God designated to be the priest of his house had done the job well.

So a eulogy is a remark or speech that provides the purpose recall of the defining qualities of the person and show how this person’s life impacted the life of his family and how it witness to the world. I want to add as Adventist we also want to communicate the power of God’s word to provide comfort and witness that this person that God has lived through for the soon return of Christ and says we too can be transformed by the way we live. So the power of this stalwart Christian man speaks volumes and it is comforting that his witness says that Christ redeeming power has affected many and can be instrumental in saving many. The Scripture

New Living Translation Chapter 14

And I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this down: Blessed are those who die in the Lord from now on. Yes, says the Spirit, they are blessed indeed, for they will rest from their hard work; for their good deeds follow them!”

English Standard Version Chapter 1

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 5 For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. 6 If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer. 7 Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort.

I end with the text I begin with , Even youths will become weak and tired,

and young men will fall in exhaustion.

31 But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength.

They will soar high on wings like eagles.

They will run and not grow weary.

They will walk and not faint.

Tyndale House Publishers, Holy Bible: New Living Translation (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2015), Is 40:30–31. I need a story of a faithful servant.