Momo's Funeral
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1 I love the Lord, because he hath heard My voice and my supplications.
2 Because he hath inclined his ear unto me, Therefore will I call upon him as long as I live.
3 The sorrows of death compassed me, And the pains of hell gat hold upon me: I found trouble and sorrow.
4 Then called I upon the name of the Lord; O Lord, I beseech thee, deliver my soul.
5 Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; Yea, our God is merciful.
6 The Lord preserveth the simple: I was brought low, and he helped me.
7 Return unto thy rest, O my soul; For the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee.
8 For thou hast delivered my soul from death, Mine eyes from tears, And my feet from falling.
9 I will walk before the Lord In the land of the living.
10 I believed, therefore have I spoken: I was greatly afflicted:
11 I said in my haste, All men are liars.
12 What shall I render unto the Lord For all his benefits toward me?
13 I will take the cup of salvation, And call upon the name of the Lord.
14 I will pay my vows unto the Lord Now in the presence of all his people.
15 Precious in the sight of the Lord Is the death of his saints.
She was known Esther, Mom, Grandma, and Momo. The Lord knows her one of His saints
I truly could spend hours telling story after story of my memories with Grandma.
Stories of cooking the best Thanksgiving meal, award winning pies, and being able to spruce up any dish to give it that home made taste.
Stories of caring for all of her children when they were in times of need. Taking them into her house or assisting how she could financially. Or simply just sitting and talking with them.
Stories of spoiling her grandkids as I can attest first hand along with CJ, Dylan, and Hunter. Many of the cloths and Christmas presents we had growing up were thanks to her generosity. She always loved the clothing that the Florida boys picked out because they were always bright and colorful. I didn’t have the heart to tell her that that is the only kind of clothing Hollister makes.
Stories of a warm loving individual as well as a hard headed stubborn lady that was not afraid to give you a piece of her mind. Whether in english or Pennsylvania Dutch. If she said unfushtandie with a discusted tone you had better get out of her way.
Stories of my grandpa never missing an occasion to bring home flowers to his love. And stories of her reciprocating sometimes with affection and sometimes with sass.
I know we all have hours of instances that are etched in our minds of Esther Bontrager.
But I believe there is a story my Grandma has for all of us today.
She would tell you of a story of going to fishers right up the road from her house to buy some ice cream and a hand full of groceries. She parked the car in the gravel driveway right by side walk. She could leave it there knowing grandpa would be sure to park it in the garage for her.
She picked up the groceries and started the short walk into the house through the front door and losing her balance and falling and breaking her arm before she got to the fridge. She had to have a blue cast placed on her arm because a floral patten wasn’t one of the options.
She would tell you of the nice lady that would come and help, her and grandpa with their medication at the house. And how for a while Jeannette and than Bobby would help her pay her bills and make sure things were in order.
She would begin to cry a little bit and start to explain how one day a nice shuttle came and picked up her and grandpa and brought her to a place called the Inn at Belden Village. Where the sweetest team of nurses are care takers would assist them with their daily needs. With tears in her eyes she would say I never saw my house again after that day.
At first she would tell you that she just wanted to go home, but the longer she was there the more she realized this was the best place for her to be.
If you know my grandma you know that her house was a huge part of her life. Her furniture was well taken care of. You better not put a wet glass on any wood in her house. She loved kids coming to play, but if you bounced on one of her beds or got something on one of her quilts you had better not let her find out. She had knick knacks galore and more flamingos resided in her house than in the state of Florida. It was constantly dusted and kept clean.
She loved going on vacation to Florida but she was always so excited to get home. She would tell you the story of her honeymoon. She was excited to be married but all she wanted to to was get home to keep her house. Obviously a few other things happened in the mean time as we have her children here as evidence of that.
She had a conversation about 10 years ago where she said she was not ready to go to heaven yet because she just enjoys her house and all of her stuff too much.
She would than tell you how she has changed her mind since than.
She would tell you the story of another fall she had this one was a little more serious. It caused her to be in the hospital for a while. And she was not able to recover.
While in the hospital she would tell you one of her grandsons said. Grandma do you want to go home? She weakly nodded her head yes. Her grandson said grandma do you want to go back to your house or go to heaven. With a dull airy whisper she spoke the single word “heaven”.
She was ready. The time of her departure was now at hand. She had fought a good fight, she had finished her course, and she had kept the faith.
Her story start to conclude with her doing everything she can to persuade you to be a Christian.
The Bible tells us in
25 Now my days are swifter than a post: They flee away, they see no good.
14 Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.
Our Lord and savior tells us in
19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
He tells us also in
1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
2 In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
4 And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.
5 Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?
6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Grandma would lastly want to tell you a story of how quickly her life went. Just 15 years celebrating her 70th birthday.
how it feels like yesterday when her baby’s were learning to walk for the first time, and as they grew older how they would play in the back yard. Driving the tractor into the woods.
She would tell you life is not about money of stuff. But its about people. And its about heaven and hell.
Grandma closed her eyes on this earth and opened them in a heavenly bliss of eternity. That makes the things of this earth grow strangely dim. Eternity only has 2 options. Eternal splendor or eternal suffering. The bible calls it the lake of fire.
Every person that ever has lived now resides for eternity of one of those two destinations.
2 (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)
13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
I believe grandma is observing us right now from her spot in heaven. The Bible tells us that we are surrounded with a great cloud of witnesses. She would want nothing more as we celebrate her life than for you to trust Jesus as your personal Lord and savior.
Would you trust Jesus today? Turn your life around and follow him. If this is something that you would like some help and clarity with please come talk to me, Pastor Tovissi, we would love nothing more than to tell you of what the savior has done for them.
Close in prayer and turn the service over to Pastor Tovissi.