Funeral of Mary Cole

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Greeting, Welcome and Prayer
Its not been that long ago since we gathered to say our good nights to Pam and Kirby. Sadly, the Bible reminds us that man's days are few and full of trouble, that our days here are like a vapor.
My dear friends, we gather here to celebrate the life of a great lady.
You know, just to start this time with a smile, you could tell me if this is true or not, she was an independent and stubborn person at times…I also remember her having knee replacements, and she came home and was supposed to wait two weeks to drive and like a day or two after being home, she passed me going down the road.
And I was like…MARY!!!!!!!
But that is what made her who she was....
Now...
Mary was many things to each of us. She was a mother, grandmother, aunt, cousin, friend, helper, servant and child of God.
Each of these terms says something to us, they describe an aspect of her life to us. Honestly, they just scratch the surface for us, for she was far more than just that, and that is why she was so loved.
I am going to use a few of these terms today as we remember her legacy and love..
Think of that first one...
Mary was a mother, and I know she cherished being a mom and she was a good mother.
She raised her children and took care of them and she also took care of so many more through the years helping them and being a blessing to them as the Lord gave her opportunity.
I think you would agree with me that she was a mother to many..
I always remember Mary in the nursery with some little ones or a new born and she would without a doubt be holding one of them, loving on them and just doing her best to take care of them while they were with her. I think she enjoyed those times so much.
She never stopped being a mother, she was determined to help take care of Pam as much as she could and she would never complain about whether she was able or not, she would just do it
She was a mother...
Proverbs 31:28–29 ESV
28 Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: 29 “Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all.”
Mary was a grandmother.
And honestly I think she loved them more than Junior and Pam. She did for them, went and supported them as they played sports, and simply tried to make sure their lives were taken care of as best she could while the Lord gave her time and resources.
It didn't matter if they were her own or one's that she claimed, she did for them all..and that was just Mary.
I can remember the grand kids playing out back there, behind Mary’s house and just having all the fun they could after Sunday dinner so many years ago.
Mary was a grandmother to so many and she loved that as much as her own life.
Mary was a friend to so many around her. And with Mary working in and around the school system so many years, well so many knew her…I can remember people coming into the HELP center where she served and many remembering her from their younger days.
And you know there is so much more I would tell you about of her connections, nieces and nephews, cousins and other family friends… You know these parts of her life you many of you know so much better than I.
But let me tell you a little more of what I know about our dear Mary.
I remember meeting Mary soon after coming here 21 years ago, getting to know her and her family. And I can tell you this first of all, Mary loved her church and she loved the Lord.
If something was happening here, from a meal to VBS, she was involved and helping.
Mary didn't enjoy being home, she wanted to be out and helping and she did this because she loved her church and Jesus.
She enjoyed helping and that is exactly what she did...
One of her greatest contributions without a doubt that I know of is the HELP center. She helped there for many years after retiring from work.
Mary stepped right in there and took care of it. And what she did kept the doors open.
She ordered food from Feeding America each month and keep up all the endless paperwork needed to satisfy the government paperwork for the USDA programs.
She did so because she didn’t want families and especially children to go hungry, her work and that of so many other faithful workers feed around 5000 people a year, and that for many years.
Mary, Lois, Shirley, Bobby and Tiny, Frank and Robert and so many more… they served there well together.
Those are just some of the physical things she did, serving our church and others.
But this was because she loved the Lord and her church family.
These last couple of years Mary as told me, Lonnie, I miss coming to church, she missed being able to drive herself and get their for the early service and Sunday school.
She didn’t like missing church and worshipping and hearing the word.
That was because she loved the Lord.
You know as a young girl Mary followed the Lord when He called to her.
She got her heart ready, because she knew they was joy in following the Lord. Joy and life is only found in Him. Jesus tells us this in John 10:10
John 10:10 ESV
10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.
And she had a good life! It was full and abundant.. Yes, like each of us, there were ups and downs, heartache and joy.
But no matter what happened, she trusted the Lord.
She is going to have a great eternal life!!
You see that is what each of us can do… We can trust the Lord...
Jesus called his disciples to as he prepared to leave this world...
He told them there in the upper room,
John 14:1–3 ESV
1 “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 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? 3 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.
There is a Christian sound that says "I am trading my sorrows for the joy of the Lord.”
Jesus was about to take the sorrow of sin, the worlds sins upon his own life and redeem the world through his own death.
His death on the cross would be the one act that would satisfy the wrath of God because of sin, but also redeem us, purchase us back to God.
Making us right in front of the Father again.
Jesus has told us that all who call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Being saved means we are His, we belong to Him and not ourselves.
Mary belonged to Jesus...
Last Wednesday morning she made that journey that all those who are in Christ will,... as long as Jesus delays his coming.
Paul tells us, to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord… and when Junior called me the other morning, I knew exactly where she was..
She was with Jesus
And As his death approached, Jesus reminds them, don’t get lost in the sorrow and sadness of death…
Just as you have believed in God, believe in me also,
Trust is the unique linkage between us and God… just as you have trusted in God and in me, keep on trusting.
You see our trust is literally what we believe, it is our faith and by keeping the faith, we see that our life is rewarded.
Mary has seen Jesus, her reward, and all those who had gone before her...
1 John 5:12 ESV
12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.
I want to remind you Mary has life, eternal life.
Her soul entered heaven… this body that she had here, it is wore out, broken and now it will rest, it will rest, waiting for the day of His return.
And the Angels even bore witness to this...
Do you remember as the disciples were watching Jesus depart this world after the resurrection, those angels told them Acts 1:11
Acts 1:11 ESV
11 and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”
Jesus is coming again , and when he comes, he will resurrect this body, and the body of every person that belongs to Jesus.
Why will he do this… He will do this because He rose from the dead.
He is called the first fruits of the resurrection, meaning since he is the first, His resurrection will guarantee our resurrection as well.
And this is the day we wait for my friends, we wait to see Jesus.
Death no longer has any power over us...
1 Corinthians 15:54–55 ESV
54 When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” 55 “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”
Death is down for the count, because Jesus is King of Kings and Lord of Lords..
He will forever change our tomorrow into the most beautiful day we have every seen.
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