Dora Williams

1Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” 5He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” (Revelation 21:1-5)

Prayer

A little over halfway through the Old Testament there is a relatively short book called Ecclesiastes. Perhaps the best know section of the book reflects on the variety of life and how different emotions and events occur throughout our lives, over which we have little or no control.

1There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: 2a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot . . . 4a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance . . . 7a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak. (Ecclesiastes 3:1-2,4,7)

We are here today, joined together in the common bond of grief to remember the life of wife and friend – Dora Williams.

I remember one of the first conversations I had with Dora. I hadn’t been here long when she asked me to pray for her. When I asked if there was anything I could specifically pray about she told me about her upcoming trip to Las Vegas. She said she always asked Jim to pray for her before she made one of those trips and now she was asking me as well. Dora loved those trips.

She loved bowling. Earl said she played on every league she could. If that’s not enough to show you how much she loved the game, this will. When she was unable to bowl anymore because of carpal tunnel surgery on her right hand she learned to bowl left handed. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone so determined to bowl.

Dora just loved sports. I wasn’t here for her softball days. She says she played first base and when she was unable to play to she coached. She continued to be involved.

Dora also loved her church and was involved with the youth. I missed those days as well. But she told me how much she enjoyed her trips with the youth to the Tennessee Christian Teen Convention. She also told me about youth outings and swim parties at the lake. She would swim up under an unsuspecting youth and pinch him or her on the foot to make them think a fish had bitten them.

Dora loved to tell stories and I have plenty to tell on her. Often when leaving church she would tell me to be good. I would reply, "I won't do anything you wouldn't do."

And Dora loved Earl. It’s said that birds of a feather flock together. Of course it’s also true that opposites attract. It was funny seeing them walking together with Earl so tall, but their love for each other was evident.

While we mourn our loss we should not mourn for Dora. The Bible tells us that to absent from the body is to be resent with the Lord. That tells us that because of her faith in Jesus, when Dora died she went to be with God. And so it is for all who place their faith in Jesus.

We can also take comfort in knowing that one day we will be reunited with those who have gone before us.

In the Old Testament, when a person died, the biblical writers said he had been “gathered to his people.” We read, for example, concerning Abraham:

Then Abraham breathed his last and died at a good old age, an old man and full of years; and he was gathered to his people. (Genesis 25:8)

And David said when his infant son died,

But now that he is dead, why should I go on fasting? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me. (2 Samuel 12:23)

David expected to see the child again, not just a nameless face, but that very child – his child.

The New Testament indicates even more clearly that our identities will remain unchanged. While sharing the Passover meal with his disciples, Jesus said,

27Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. 28This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. 29I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.” (Matthew 26:27-29)

Jesus was promising that he and his disciples would drink together again form the fruit of the vine in heaven. Elsewhere Jesus makes a similar, but even more definite, promise:

I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 8:11)

In Matthew 17, Jesus takes three apostles – Peter, James, and John – with him to the top of hill. There the prophets Moses and Elijah appeared with Jesus. Even though it had been centuries since they had lived and so none of the apostles had ever met them, all three men instantly knew who the two men were.

Just think, one day we will be able to talk to Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Jacob, Samuel, Moses, Joshua, Esther, Elijah, Elisha, Isaiah, Daniel, Ezekiel, David, Peter, Barnabas, Paul, or any of the others saints we choose. I’m sure there will be many questions we will have. “How in the world were you able to build such a big boat? What was it like in the belly of that great fish? What was it like to walk on water?”

Of course, for us at this time the more hopeful thing is we will know and be reunited with our loved ones who have gone before.

Describing the Lord’s second coming, Paul writes,

After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. (1 Thessalonians 4:17)

Paul's purpose in writing these words was to comfort some of the Thessalonians who evidently thought their loved ones who died before the second coming would miss the return of Christ. Paul says in verse 18,

Therefore encourage one another with these words. (1 Thessalonians 4:18)

The comfort comes from the prospect of reunion. There wouldn’t be much comfort if in the reunion we couldn’t even recognize one another. But Paul's promise that we will all be “together” forever implies that we shall renew fellowship with all whom we have known.

Jesus told the apostles before he was arrested:

1Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. 2My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. 4You know the way to the place where I am going. (John 14:1-4)

Jesus has gone to prepare a place for us. One day we shall be united with him and with all our loved ones who have gone before us. John MacArthur writes:

One day we will be reunited not only with our own families and loved ones, but also with the people of God from all ages. In heaven we will all be one loving family. The immense size of the family will not matter in the infinite perfection of heaven. There will be ample opportunity for close relationships with everyone, and our eternity will be spent in just that kind of rich, unending fellowship.

And so, as Paul wrote to the Thessalonians, we do not grieve as those without hope. Our hope is in Jesus who died for our sins, rose from the dead, and promised to return for us one day. And our hope is for the eternal life he promised to all who placed their faith in him.

Dora loved Earl, she loved her family, and she loved her church, but more than that she loved her Savior. And so we know that she is with him now.

Graveside

I want to read from the 23rd Psalm.

1The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. 3He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. 4Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. 5Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. 6Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever. (Psalm 23:1-6)

It would be nice if God would simply promise that we would never go through difficult times like these. But we do go through great and terrible difficulties all the time and God constantly warns us of these dangers and difficulties in his Holy Word. Peter wrote in his first letter:

Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. (1 Pet 4:12)

The Bible constantly warns us that there will be difficult times in life, but it also gives promises of comfort. Isaiah wrote about the coming of Jesus saying about him:

1The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, 2to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn. (Isaiah 61:1-2)

And Paul wrote:

3Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)

And then we have those words I read from Psalm 23:

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. (Psalm 23:4)

The Bible does not say that God will keep us from difficulties and heartache, but rather the Bible says when those times come that God will be with us. God is there to comfort us and sustain us.

So my prayer for you today is that you might know God’s presence and his comfort. Paul wrote to the Thessalonians:

13Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. 14For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. 15According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18Therefore comfort one another with these words. (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)