Sam Ramsey Funeral

Siblings: W.J. Ramsey, Rye Ramsey, Claudette Okowski and half-sister Donna Baugh, two step-daughters, Jennifer (Kyle) Smith and Selina (Michael) Carr, Step-grandsons Madison (Miranda) Smith, Spencer (Megan) Smith and Dylan (Jenna) Smith and five step-great grandchildren.

Order:

Family Seated

Welcome

Song: “I Want to Stroll Over Heaven with You” - Alan Jackson

Scripture: Randy Darnell

Song: “Picture in a Frame” - Tom Waits?

Eulogy

Exit Song: “Go Rest High” - Vince Gill?

I want to welcome you to the funeral service for Sammy Lee Ramsey.

I suspect most of you knew him as Sam - that’s how I knew him.

I met Sam at the Lynn Haven Health and Rehab facility in Gray.

I pastor the First Baptist Church in Gray and we conduct a worship service on the first Sunday of every month at Lynn Haven.

You’d love it - lots of music - just a little preaching.

Sam and I kind of hit it off pretty quickly.

I suspect he hit it off with most of you rather quickly too.

A few months ago, Sam asked me, “When I die, will you do my funeral.”

I told him “Of course, just don’t get in a hurry.”

But maybe Sam knew something we didn’t know.

I am convinced the Lord gives those who are about to be called home some kind of special grace

A “knowing” if you will that there time is growing short.

Last Saturday, Sam was in rare form.

A couple of our members help call Bingo on Saturdays so they were there and they said Sam was full of energy

And was picking on folks - especially Ms. Edna.

He went to bed and got a good nights sleep.

Got up and started getting ready for the day.

Then he sat on the edge of his bed and Jesus called him home.

Just like that.

So here we are - just like I promised Sam I would be.

And just like you promised in a sense by being his friends and family

Your presence is a comfort to Ms. Joyce and the rest of Sam’s family.

Thank you for coming.

As we talk about Sam today, may his memory be a blessing to us.

Song: “I Want to Stroll Over Heaven With You” - Alan Jackson

Unless the family has some particular scripture they want me to use, I try to pick scripture that speaks to the character of the person we are remembering.

See if these make you think of Sam.

First, Psalm 4:6-8

Psalm 4:6–8 ESV

There are many who say, “Who will show us some good? Lift up the light of your face upon us, O Lord!” You have put more joy in my heart than they have when their grain and wine abound. In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.

There there is Proverbs 12:25

Proverbs 12:25 ESV

Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad.

There was never a trip to Lynn Haven that Sam didn’t have a joke for me.

He was always smiling and he loved to make me laugh.

He had more joy in his heart than someone who was stuffed full of food and was drunk

That’s what Psalm 4 says God does for us - “Psalm 4:7 “You have put more joy in my heart than they have when their grain and wine abound.”

I pray each of us can know that kind of joy.

Let’s pray together:

Dear kind and gentle Lord,

Life can be so hard and cruel.

We know you didn’t want life to be that way for us, but we are so stubborn to have our own way.

And our sins always find us out.

And yet, you still love us.

And your hearts desire is to fill us with the joy of living forever with you.

Oh dear Jesus, please cause those who don’t believe that you give eternal life, cause them to see you.

Cause them to understand the mirth and merriment that being in your presence brings.

The hope, Lord Jesus, that keeps a man trapped in a wheel chair

Whose kidneys were giving out on him, the hope that keeps a man confined to a nursing home full of joy.

That can cause a man who can’t pick himself up and walk outside to his car to crack jokes to make someone else smile.

A hope, Lord, that would cause a man to look forward to hearing songs about you

And words from your scriptures.

Dear Lord,

Impress upon us today the depth and breadth and height and length of your love for us.

A love that reached down from heaven and took my friend Sam home.

Lord, thank you for the hope that one day - sooner rather than later - you’ll call all of your children home.

Bless you Lord, for your goodness, your grace and your mercy.

For it is in the name of Jesus Christ our Savior, we pray. Amen

Song - Picture In A Frame - Tom Waits

I don’t remember the first time I met Sam at Lynn Haven.

I do remember the last time though.

He told me the story about a farmer who was milking a cow and a city boy came up to talk to him.

After a little while, the boy asked the farmer, “Do you know what time it is?”

The farmer quit milking the cow.

He placed his hand under the cows udder and he lifted it.

He shook his head a little bit and then lifted it higher

And then he said, “It’s 3:15.”

The city boy was amazed.

“How did you do that?” he asked.

The farmer said, “Sit down here and I’ll show you.”

So the city boy sat on the farmer’s milking stool.

The farmer said, “Now put your hand under the cow’s udder and lift it.”

The city boy did as the farmer instructed.

“Can you see the time?” the farmer asked.

“No, I can’t,” said the city boy.

“LIft the cows udder a little higher”

The city boy did and the farmer asked, “Can you see the time now?”

They city boy said “No! Where do I look?”

And the farmer said, “On the clock tower across the street.”

I don’t know why that landed as one of the funniest jokes I had heard in a while but it did.

That’s the Sam I knew.

When I visited with Ms. Joyce and her family the other day, my first question to them was, “Was that really Sam? Was he the real deal?”

I mean, most of you have never been a preacher, so it might come as a surprise to you that some people pretend to be one thing when I’m around

And they are totally something else around everyone else.

But the family assured me, that was Sam.

Always ready with a joke.

Never met a stranger.

There is something else I asked too.

I thought I was being discreet but I think my voice carried a bit more than I meant it to.

I leaned over and asked Ms. Joyce, “How old are you?”

Well, you could knocked me over with a feather when she answered.

She looks so young, my wife and I thought she was Sam’s daughter coming to the nursing home to take care of him.

Sam married up for sure.

Sam was born around Columbus, Ohio.

His dad was a truck driver and he and his very pregnant wife lived in Soddy Daisy, Tennessee.

He took her over the road with him on a trip to Ohio and I guess all of that jostling in that big rig was enough to shake the Sam out of her.

Just about in Columbus, Ohio.

The family moved from Tennessee to Milledgeville, Georgia.

There were three boys and one girl - Claudette was the baby and was spoiled so I’m told.

The children all attended school in Baldwin County.

Sam graduated and ended up working as an electrician at Central State Hospital.

He took a break from Central State to join the Army where he was trained as a cook.

He completed his basic training and ended up in the National Guard until his honorable discharge.

Then he was back at Central State where he retired after 31 years

Ending his career as the supervisor over the electricians there.

During that time he married and had a son - Sammy Jr.

That marriage didn’t work out so Sam found himself single again.

He married again and this time his wife passed away.

Again, he found himself single.

Until one day around 1998, a friend of Joyce gave her phone number to Sam.

He called her up that same night and they ended up in pretty short order getting married.

Sam moved to the big city of Irwinton, where he and Joyce built their life together.

He joined Irwinton Baptist Church and he and Joyce were very involved there.

And this is the part of funerals that I always find very amazing.

You see, I only know folks for a snapshot in time.

Sam for a couple of years a Lynn Haven.

Always with a port, always in a wheel chair.

I didn’t get to see the Sam and Joyce that went with their church on mission trips.

They once went to some poor region up north with a boat load of coats.

The preacher pulled a trailer that was packed full of coats and Joyce said she was amazed at the number of people that came out of the hills to get them a coat.

Such a simple thing.

How many coats do all of us have?

When some folks, who really need one, don’t have one.

Until Jesus motivates some of His people to give a few of theirs away.

Sam went and got his CDL license so he could drive the church bus.

I need a few people to do that at my church.

And he led singing for a little while.

I think I know why it was only for a little while.

Mostly, Sam ran the sound system.

Joyce said there was such a good group of people there.

They’d get together and drive to the Huddle House in Milledgeville

And when that one went out of business, they found themselves another one to go to.

In fact, their church involvement got them in a bit of trouble.

Seems Sam went to a brotherhood meeting

And Joyce went to a Women’s group meeting - I bet it was WMU

And they didn’t tell any of the kids where they were going or when they would be back.

And the kids couldn’t get in touch with them.

So they went to their house looking for them

And no one was there

So the kids called the sheriff on them.

I bet that was a special day.

Sam took his very tanned self and Ms. Joyce on 7 or 8 cruises, Joyce said.

And they traveled with Joyce’s family

All 13 of them and their spouses.

Ms. Joyce’s mama had 15 children total - 2 passed away very young.

So the remaining 13 would rent a gigantic house somewhere and all go there on a regular basis.

That’s a lot of folks in one place but they always had a really good time.

Now, I don’t want to paint a picture of a perfect Sam, because for one, I know that Romans 3:23 says “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”

That included Sam

But I also listened intently to the stories the family told me.

Remember I said I pick scripture that reminded me of the person?

Yeah, how about this one?

Zechariah 7:11–12 ESV

But they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder and stopped their ears that they might not hear. They made their hearts diamond-hard…

Does that remind anyone of Sam?

I understand that Sam could be a trifle stubborn.

That probably served him well as a leader over the electricians at Central State

But there is a such thing as too much stubbornness.

In 2014, Sam got sick on Christmas day and was in the hospital until February, 2015.

Joyce needed help caring for Sam, so they moved in with Jennifer and Kyle.

Sam had a serious issue with diabetes.

And he also had a serious sweet tooth.

They found he had a secret stash of M&M’s.

Jennifer worked as hard as he could to keep Sam on the straight and narrow and probably helped keep him alive as long as he lived.

But I do believe he gave her a run for her money.

Still his health declined.

He had a few stints at Lynn Haven for rehab over the years

Until April of 2023, he simply needed more care than he could get at home so he stayed at Lynn Haven.

And that’s where I met him.

Where he asked me to do his funeral.

How we got to this place today.

You know, I wonder what it will be like when the Lord’s angel escorts us into heaven.

Hebrews chapter 12 opens with the line, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a could of witnesses…”

It makes me wonder.

When we enter heaven, will we see those who we never knew but something we did led them to Jesus.

Were there some mountain children there, telling Sam that he handed the a coat when they were freezing cold

And they learned that those coats came because a man named Jesus inspired some flat landers to head to the hills.

I wonder if a couple of folks there will say thank you for all the work you did for Operation Christmas child

Because I received one of those shoeboxes

And I learned about Jesus and got saved.

So I am here in heaven, because of something you did.

I wonder if we’ll know.

Life can be so difficult sometimes and it’s easy to despair.

Sometimes you think what you are doing doesn’t seem to be making much difference.

But I can tell you, this man in a wheelchair with a port hanging out of his chest lifted the spirits of this old man.

I looked forward to seeing Sam and sometimes I went looking for him when I missed him.

He touched my life by telling me a joke or some story from his life.

He made me feel special because we needed each other.

You know, I was born in Ft. Leonardwood, Missouri.

Mom and Dad moved back home to Austell where I was raised and graduated high school.

I ran a circuitous route through college, ended up marrying the cutest little girl to ever walk through my church’s doors

And ended up through no design of my own, in Gray, Georgia where I ended up going to a nursing home and meeting Sam.

I guess you could say it was fortune or fate or coincidence or chance.

But I don’t believe in those things.

I believe that before the foundation of the world, the Lord knew me and He had a plan for my life.

Romans 8:29 say “For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.”

Foreknowledge is a fancy way of saying that He loved me before I was ever conceived.

Predestined is a fancy way of saying that He made a plan for my life.

And conformed to the image of His Son is a fancy way of saying His plan was and still is to make me as much like Jesus as I can be.

That’s the same plan the Lord had for Sam

It’s the same plan He has for you.

“For all have sinned and have fallen short of the glory God created us for.

Not a single one of us has ever lived up to the potential God created in us.

Not a one except Jesus.

He lived a perfect life and still He was executed like a criminal.

He was so poor He was buried in a borrowed tomb.

But He gave that tomb back on the third day because His Father raised Him from the dead.

Jesus ascended into heaven where He sits at the right hand of God until it’s time for Him to come again.

And come again He will.

And you need to be ready.

One day each of us will go the same way as Sam.

In a moment, you’ll be alive and then you won’t be.

You won’t have time to phone a friend or buy a vowel.

You’ll be gone.

Sam wasn’t perfect, but Sam was ready to go.

He confessed to Jesus that he was a sinner.

He told Jesus that he didn’t like the way he was ruining his own life and would Jesus help him and save him

And Sam committed to Jesus that he would follow Jesus for the rest of his days.

So Jesus saved him.

Romans 10:9 say “… if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

It worked for Sam.

It will work for you too.

You can pay $2 and play the lottery and maybe you’ll win something.

But your only sure bet is one day you’ll be laying right where Sam is.

So do what Sam did - follow Jesus.

Let us pray:

Dear Heavenly Father,

Our world seems so out of control and yet it’s not all at the same time.

People do crazy things and yet the sun still comes up.

Nations rage against nation and yet the moon rises and sets

And the tides rise and fall.

Lord, Your Word tells us that you set eternity in our hearts

It’s a gift that allows us to see Your things

Things that last and have more value than we can imagine.

Thank you for loving Sam like you do.

Your love sustained his hope until his biggest hope was realized.

We will miss Sam Father, but we would not want him to come back.

After all of the love and care he gave to so many

We now want for him all the love and care You give.

Bless you Father for Jesus

For His death and His resurrection.

Thank you that He is the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.

That He both showed us the way and WAS the Way.

Help us in this hour to honor and glorify You for the good gifts you’ve given to us

And will continue to give us both now and for eternity.

You are greatly to be praised.

In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

The family asked that I tell you that the burial will be private for the family only.

The reason is actually consideration for your and Ms. Joyce

It is extremely hot this week and we know we would all want to talk after the graveside

And it just wouldn’t be safe.

Your presence here today was enough to truly bless this family.

Thank you for coming and may the Lord richly bless you all.

Amen

Graveside

As I sat down to write last night, the bugs outside were raising quite a ruckus.

If you grew up in Georgia, you might remember camping out on hot summer nights

Where it was too hot to get in your sleeping bag

And the bugs were making that incredible noise.

I had no idea that God was using those night to give me comfort 60 years later.

As I heard those familiar sounds, the Lord spoke to my heart through His word.

Psalm 62:5–8 ESV

For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken. On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God. Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us.

Be still, like you were laying on your sleeping bag, and listen for him.

When Sam’s body quit working, there was nothing in this world he could do for himself.

Everything thing he had learned

All of his experiences of all of his life couldn’t do a thing for him.

Only one thing mattered

“For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him…”

There was nothing Sam could do, but hope that Jesus’ angel would reach out his hand and rescue him.

If ever there is a moment a human being is completely, totally and absolutely helpless, it is in that instant when our bodies stop.

That’s the moment we are counting on our rock and salvation to hold.

I can’t do anything for myself.

Yet, the Lord will do all things for me.

He promised He would.

He alone is our refuge.

The Lord didn’t disappoint Sam.

Right this moment, there is no more port in Sam’s chest.

His legs are strong and he’s standing straight and tall.

He feels no pain and all of the regrets of his life are gone.

Jesus has made same new - just as He promised.

Let us pray:

Holy Father, We commend into thy hands of mercy the soul of this our brother departed, Sam

And his body we commit to the earth, beseeching your infinite goodness, to give us grace to live in your fear and love and to die in your favor

So that when the judgement shall come which you have committed to your well-beloved son,

Both this our brother, and we, may be found acceptable in your sight

And that we receive that blessing, which your well-beloved son shall then pronounce to all that love and fear you, saying

Come you blessed children of my Father: Receive the kingdom prepared for you before the beginning of the world.

Grant this merciful father for the honor of Jesus Christ, our only Savior, Mediator, our Advocate and our Friend.

Romans 15:13 ESV

[Now] May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

Amen

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