Bettye Joyce Pace Graveside

Not My Sermon

Pastors don’t write funeral sermons. The person being remembered does. And, Bettye Joyce Pace has written us a joyful sermon this morning. In fact, I really didn’t write this sermon at all. Her grandson, Riley, did. I’m just the one presenting it.

Humble Love

In Philippians 2, Paul famously describes the servanthood of Jesus. He says that Jesus “though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” And, Paul is painting this intricate picture of some of the richest Christology found in all the Bible to make one of the simplest points: Philippians 2:3 “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.”

That’s how you remember Mrs. Pace, isn’t it? She always put everyone else’s needs above her own. She ate last, making sure that you had all that you wanted first. She listened to you and always met you with a kind word. Her greatness was found in her humility, and her humility found it’s example in the person of Christ.

Infectious Laugh

Riley said that nothing stood out to him about his grandmother more than her laugh. It reminds me of what Proverbs 31 says. Proverbs 31 is a summary of the Book of Proverbs, and it’s given forth in the picture of a virtuous woman. Proverbs begins by characterizing temptation and destruction as a seductress and concludes by embodying wisdom as a diligent, faithful wife. This virtuous woman is the wisdom every person is seeking to embody and every man is seeking to marry.

And, it says in verse 25: “Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come.” It seems to me that this verse is a summary of Mrs. Pace’s life. The diligent laugh the best. They know the work is done. They know the preparations have been made. They know the family has been cared for. And, they know that God will take care of them. So, they can laugh with ease. Is there any wonder why Mrs. Pace laughed as she did?

The Overflow of Her Heart

The last eight years have been hard on you as a family, I know, as she has struggled through dementia. There’s nothing that can prepare you to watch such a strong woman wither so helplessly. But, Riley noted something unique about his grandmother. Many people become mean and harsh as dementia erodes their filter and etiquette. They say things they would’ve never said otherwise and the family is left with wounds to heal. But, not Mrs. Pace. She remained kind and sweet. When dementia eroded her filter, it only revealed the purity of her heart.

Jesus says that a person’s heart is revealed in their words. That the fruit of their life is revealed in what they say and how they treat others. Luke 6:45 “The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.”

Now, I don’t understand the complexities of dementia, and I don’t fully comprehend what might cause one person to become harsh and another to be gentle. But, it certainly is a fitting picture for Mrs. Pace. The overflow of her heart continued to reveal a person who looked like Jesus.

Today She Thinks Clearly

And so, today, we can take heart. We can, as Paul reminds us, grieve as people with hope. Because today she is with Jesus. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 4:16–18 “So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.”

You see, time and dementia did their work on Mrs. Pace. Her “outer self (was) wasting away.” But, they have not won. Jesus has already defeated them. So, today, her transient suffering has been displaced by “an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison.” Right now, she thinks more clearly than she ever has, and her thoughts are entirely saturated with the glory of Jesus she is now beholding. So, this is just a temporary resting place for her body until Christ returns, and she is resurrected.

Let’s Pray