Hazel Brooks

Order of Service

Prelude - Derick Kopp

Welcome and Opening Prayer - Randy Darnell

Introduction of Grandsons - Randy Darnell

Allen Miller

Matthew Carter

Remarks - Randy Darnell

Song - He Touched Me - Joe Cook

Eulogy - Rusty Smith

Song - I Love You Lord - Doug Richardson

Postlude - Derick Kopp

Thank you all for coming today.

It’s a Saturday afternoon and there are hundreds of things that are screaming for your time, yet you chose to come here to honor Ms. Hazel Brooks

And to love and comfort her family.

Penni and Julie and the entire family love you and thank you all very much for your kindness.

Today is good - it is so right for us to gather today and be sorrowful for sure

But to be happy for Hazel.

I suspect Hazel would be able to quote from memory 1 Thessalonians 4:13 “But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.”

For if you are a Christ follower, the only sorrow we have is that we won’t be able to hear the voice or see the face of our sister.

But our joy - our joy is complete in knowing that our Lord Jesus did exactly what He said He would do.

That on Wednesday afternoon, He sent His messenger to promote Hazel from her life of failing health to her rest in heaven with Jesus.

And even that isn’t her final promotion

Because one day Jesus will come again

He will bring a new heaven and a new earth and He will give us new bodies

And we who are His will live together forever with Jesus.

The song says, “What a day of rejoicing that will be. When we all see Jesus, we’ll sing and shout the victory.”

Let us pray:

Our gracious Lord,

Thank you for taking Hazel home.

Life had become a burden to her and her heart yearned for you.

She trusted Jesus.

She knew the day would come when she would meet Him face to face and she wasn’t afraid.

I pray Lord when all of our days come, that we can stare death in the eyes, face to face, unafraid

Just like Hazel

Because we know.

Jesus loves me and He’s coming to take me home.

Thank you for the testimony of Hazel’s life and for the Savior who did indeed take her home.

Amen

At this time Hazel’s grandsons will come speak about their grandmother.

Allen Miller will go first

Then Matthew Carter.

Allen....

After Matthew speaks - go up

For those of you who don’t know me, I am Randy Darnell and I am the pastor of the First Baptist Church of Gray.

But more importantly, I am the husband of Renee who is the favorite child of the whole family and son in law of Myrtle, Hazel’s sister.

I am able to stand here today because I successfully completed my probationary period with the family.

It took about 20 years of minding my p’s and q’s, but one day Julie declared for all of them that I was now blood kin and could stay.

It was a big relief.

It seems that there was more to Hazel than simply what this in-law cousin could perceive.

I knew Hazel as a very soft spoken and kind lady - always well dressed - always well spoken.

A devoted Christian and church go-er - she and Henry Allen loved their church.

Her calm demeanor put me at ease and I loved it when we all got together.

I mostly saw Hazel and Henry Allen - I don’t think we ever referred to either one of them in a solo way

It was always Hazel and Henry Allen

But I mostly saw them at Christmas when we’d gather and swap gifts.

Or on the fourth of July when everyone would go to the lake and we’d eat hot dogs and the kids would swim or get pulled behind the boat.

And at Marvin’s for the annual family reunion and Easter Egg hunt.

I should have picked up on something there, because if you’ve never been to a Brown Easter egg hunt you just don’t know.

Those folks are serious hiders and hunters - it wasn’t like any Easter Egg Hunt I had ever participated in.

And Hazel was a part of that crowd.

I guess I was lulled into thinking that Hazel was always a perfect angel all of the time by the things I saw her do.

For Christmas every year, Hazel would give my daughter Anna what Anna called “A Hazel Bag.”

All year long Hazel would pick up little knick-knacks and trinkets and put them in a bag for Anna and they were things that were just right for Anna

Anna, by the way, is the only girl amongst the children in Myrtle and Hazel’s families.

And at Christmas, Anna had the most fun pulling item after item out of that bag - oohing and aaahhing and giggling over each one.

Hazel loved doing that for Anna.

When I asked the other day, “Well, what about the boys?” I was told rather quickly that Anna was the only girl.

And realizing my blood status was in jeopardy, I quietly let it go.

Renee’ and I had a little dog named Dink that we got while I was in school.

As Dink got elderly and didn’t travel well, Hazel very graciously agreed to keep Dink for us.

She made sure Dink was fed and watered

Dink sat in Hazel’s lap and Hazel just petted on Dink.

It was only recently that I found that Dink was a cause of familial consternation.

Seems Dink was the only dog that was ever allowed in Hazel’s house.

Hazel resisted Penni and Julie’s clamoring for a pet when they were growing up and were quite surprised by Dink’s acceptance into the house.

But I guess that’s simply the privilege that comes with being the favorite.

After all, Hazel did make Renee’ that amazing Chocolate cake regularly.

The biggest surprise came though when we were sitting around and I asked Myrtle, Renee and Anna to help me remember some things about Hazel

And without a moment’s hesitation - and I mean not a single moment

Myrtle said, “When we were little girls, I kept my fingernails cut short, but Hazel always let hers grow long

“And she would scratch me with those fingernails all the time.”

I was stunned - I never took Hazel to be a kamikaze scratcher.

Not quiet, demure Hazel.

We all do know that Hazel was devoted to scripture memorization

And not just to memorize it but to know it so it would be available for use at the appropriate moment.

There was a time when Hazel’s feathers were somewhat ruffled about her care and she was discussing it with Julie.

Hazel did not agree and to add some umphf to the conversation she quoted what she knew to be a most appropriate scripture.

Job 16:2 “...Miserable comforters are ye all.”

It appears she wasn’t happy that day and she let the Word speak for her.

Hazel was one of the sweetest people I have known.

She was always very kind and warm to me from the very first time we met.

She knew who she was - she was a sinner saved by grace.

She knew that if Jesus had not died and been resurrected for her sins, she knew she would be lost for all eternity.

Hazel knew Jesus - not about Jesus - she knew Jesus.

She knew that Psalm 91:14–16 was written for her:

Psalm 91:14–16 KJV 1900

Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him. With long life will I satisfy him, And shew him my salvation.

She knew when she called on Jesus, that Jesus would answer.

She knew all through the final stages of her life, that He would deliver her.

He gave her a long life - and there is no doubt in any of our minds that Jesus has saved her from death.

But I believe most of all, right this moment, Hazel would say, “it’s not about me.”

She would probably quote from memory, 1 John 4:10-12

1 John 4:10–12 KJV 1900

Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.

She loved Jesus and that was important.

But what was more important was that Jesus loved her.

And because He loved her, she made sure to love all of us.

And His love was perfected - or we can use the word completed, or full - in Hazel.

And because we know that and we all feel the warmth of her memory and the Holy Spirit in our hearts right now, that we can agree with the Psalmist

Psalm 116:15 “Precious in the sight of the Lord Is the death of his saints.”

Precious - that’s Hazel.

Let us pray:

Gentle Jesus,

To you whose touch can be firm like a Father’s when we disobey

And gentle like a mother’s when we fall and skin our knees.

To you who spoke light and darkness into being

As well as fingernails and puppies and Easter Eggs.

To you who fills our hearts with fear at your unfathomable power

And yet, stills our hurting hearts and calls us to curl up in your lap like scared child.

To you we give thanks and honor and power and glory.

For giving us our sister.

For sanctifying her well.

And for calling her home so we don’t have to mourn her loss.

We simply wait now for your appearing.

Bless you Lord Jesus, we pray.

Amen