Laura Loper Funeral Service

Introduction

Psalm 39:4–13 (CSB)

“Lord, make me aware of my end

and the number of my days

so that I will know how short-lived I am.

In fact, you have made my days just inches long,

and my life span is as nothing to you.

Yes, every human being stands as only a vapor.

Selah

Yes, a person goes about like a mere shadow.

Indeed, they rush around in vain,

gathering possessions

without knowing who will get them.

“Now, Lord, what do I wait for?

My hope is in you.

Rescue me from all my transgressions;

do not make me the taunt of fools.

I am speechless; I do not open my mouth

because of what you have done.

Remove your torment from me.

Because of the force of your hand I am finished.

You discipline a person with punishment for iniquity,

consuming like a moth what is precious to him;

yes, every human being is only a vapor.

Selah

“Hear my prayer, Lord,

and listen to my cry for help;

do not be silent at my tears.

For I am here with you as an alien,

a temporary resident like all my ancestors.

Turn your angry gaze from me

so that I may be cheered up

before I die and am gone.”

John 14:1–6 (ESV)

“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

[Let us pray – Lord Jesus, You fashioned us while we were yet in our mothers’ womb. You’ve prepared for us, and You’ve guided us through this journey of life. And now, here we are, faced with the reality of death. And so, even now, we put our trust in You. Give us comfort in sorrow. Help us to focus on You, on the eternity You offer when we follow you. And give us peace and understanding that stems from Your sweet Spirit. We pray these things in your righteous and holy name. Amen!]

Introduction

Today, we’re here to celebrate the life and legacy of Laura May Loper. Laura was a graduate of Maplewood High School. She was a nurse’s aide for over 40 years where she served at Crawford County Care Center for 34 years. The people there, they loved her so much…she even served as the matron of honor for two different weddings held by residents there. She was also honored by winning the nurse’s aide of the year award. She loved what she did and loved helping people. When you hear stories, it was clear that she had such a great heart. Laura was also a member of the Red Hat Society and a member of the Saegertown American Legion Post 205. She loved her family…she loved her dog, Buster…and she truly leaves behind a legacy of love to those that knew.

The death of someone we love is never easy. But as we gather here this morning, we share our love and our concern for each other. We can share memories of Laura…and we can look into God’s Word for the comfort and guidance we need.

At times like this, many people ask, “Why?”…Why this sickness, this pain, this grief? Why did God let this happen? I want you to know that its not wrong to ask why. I realized this a few years ago when I noticed that on the cross, Jesus asked, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”

Jesus asked why…and listen, He always did the right thing…He had every reason to ask why…and so, it’s okay for us to also ask, “Why?” But the problem is that many times we can’t find the answer to that question. So a wise man once said that a better question is: “What now?” What should we do now? Let me urge you to stand on these eternal truths.

1.) Stand on the Truth that God is Good

First, stand on the truth that God is good. When bad things happen like this, sometimes we’re tempted to blame God. But the Bible tells us not to make that mistake, because God is Light and God is Love.

In Psalm 25 David said:

Psalm 25:6–7 (CSB)

Remember, Lord, your compassion

and your faithful love,

for they have existed from antiquity.

Do not remember the sins of my youth

or my acts of rebellion;

in keeping with your faithful love, remember me

because of your goodness, Lord.

Psalm 33:5 says that “the earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.” Psalm 34:8 urges us to “taste and see the Lord is good,” and “blessed is the man who trust in him.”

In the New Testament, James 1:17 tells us that: “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights.” So listen, when you think of the good times and the good things about Laura…know that these things came from God. Every bit of good in our lives, its ultimately a gift from God.

God is good. But if that’s true, why is there so much heartache in the world? The reason why is because Satan’s real. He’s the father of all evil. The Bible says that he comes to steal, to kill, and to destroy. Satan tries to hurt us in every way he can. And because of his temptation, we’ve rebelled against this good and gracious God.

But Jesus Christ, He came to heal the brokenhearted and to set the captives free. One day God’ll wipe away all sickness, and all evil, and all pain. Then all who’ve trusted in the Lord Jesus will live together in total perfection, with no more sickness, and no more pain, and no sorrow, no sin, no shame, living forever in eternity with Jesus.

But until that day, life can be extremely hard, but listen, stand on the truth that God is good.

2.) Stand on the Truth that God Loves You

Second, stand on the truth that God loves you. John 3:16 says, “For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”

When something terrible happens in our lives, it’s easy to think that God doesn’t love us. But he does…He does love us. God the Father has shown us that in so many ways. But the greatest was that He sent His Son Jesus to die on the cross for our sins.

Romans 5:8 says, “But God proves his own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” God doesn’t love us because we’re good. He loves us in spite of that…He loves us because He’s good.

And He loves us so much that He wants us to be part of His family. God wants to have a personal relationship with us. We see this truth many places in His Word, such as the Lord's Prayer. It was there that Jesus taught His followers to say, "Our Father who is in heaven, hallowed be Your name." And that’s the relationship the Heavenly Father wants to have with all of us. Anybody can have this relationship by receiving Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of their lives.

Nothing’s more important than this. And as we gather here today to honor and celebrate Laura, its a reminder to us of how fragile life really is. We take it for granted, but every day is a gift from God.

John Hamby said this truth should cause us to examine our lives. And first we should take a look back: What has your life been up to this point? Are you satisfied with it in the face of eternity?

But also take a look forward: What do you place your hope in for the future? Are you ready to leave this world?

There’s only one way for us to get ready, and that’s by trusting in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior....It’s by turning to Him. We have to trust in Jesus who died on the cross for our sins and rose again, victorious over death forever. Trust in the Lord, and you’ll see God prove His love to you over and over again.

Life can be extremely hard. But stand on the truth that God loves you.

3.) Stand on the Truth that God will Help You

Lastly, stand on the truth that God’ll help you. He’s gonna help you through this…He’s gonna help you through everything. The Bible tells us that God’s the Father of mercies and a God of all comfort. And He’ll comfort us in our grief. Jesus says in Matthew 11:

Matthew 11:28–29 (CSB)

“Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take up my yoke and learn from me, because I am lowly and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

Jesus Christ has the power to help us in this world, because after He returned to Heaven, the Lord sent His Holy Spirit to be here with us today. God's Word calls His Spirit the "Comforter," and over time, He’ll give us the comfort we need in life. The Bible promises that He’ll even give us the peace that passes all understanding.

I once read about a mother named Sue Heil. Her only child, Steven, graduated from high school one June morning, only to be killed in a car wreck that night. Just a few hours before the wreck, Sue had given thanks for Steven's life. And she asked God to keep taking care of him. How could God let this happen?

In the days after Steven's death, Sue was often angry with God. Her pastor assured her that this was normal and urged her to keep praying. Sue was disappointed with God and she told Him, "You’re supposed to be near the brokenhearted. Do you really care?"

Sue had lost her son, and because of that she felt like she had lost her relationship with God. But one day she got a card from a friend that said: "When God conceals His purposes…keep living on His promises."

Sue said that it was as if God were saying to her, "Let go of your anger and trust me again. You might not know why things happen, but you do have my promise of eternal life."

Guys, take heart today in the words that helped Sue so much: "When God conceals His purposes, keep living on His promises."

Closing

Let me close with this verse for your encouragement. Paul wrote, “Where, death, is your sting?….But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!”These coming days and weeks, they’ll be difficult but you have friends and family that love you and that are here for you. And listen, know this, that with faith in Jesus Christ and by turning to Him, there will be a day where we’re all connected with Him forever as His children. And remember when things do get hard…God’s good…God loves you…and God will help you.

Let us pray.

[Lord Jesus,

Thank you for Laura’s life, for all the many years we’ve gotten to share with her. We lift her up to you today, in honor of the good we saw in her and the love we felt from her. Lord, I pray for the family…I pray for comfort and strength…I pray for their knowledge of eternal life through you...and I pray that through this tragedy, those that love her, they’ll see your goodness shine through. And so Lord, be with them…be with the friends and loved ones…and draw them close to You.

We pray these things in your righteous and holy name. Amen!]