Mrs. Elizabeth Gayle Taylor
Sermon • Submitted
0 ratings
· 7 viewsNotes
Transcript
Family and Friends we have gathered here today, to honor the life and oh what a life it was of Mrs. Gayle Taylor.
What can I say about Mrs. Gayle, she was truly someone I considered my friend, as the years go by we never truly know how much someone means to us, and the impact they made on your life. Mrs. Gayle meant the world to me because in a world that is filled with counterfeits she was the real deal. With Gayle what you see is what you get, and what you got from Mrs. Gayle was an infectious smile and an impeccable sense of humor.
I had the privilege to get to know here and her best friend her husband R.Q. Taylor, and they were coming up on 60 years of marriage. For the life of me I can’t figure out what she saw in ole R.Q. actually I do. it is very few and far between that you actually see two people who were created for one another, but I genuinely feel that way about Gayle and R.Q. their personalities were just right for each other they both know how to brighten up someone elses day, they get you laughing when you least expect it but when it was time to lay the law down they both knew how to do that as well.
Mrs. Gayle was a special lady and she has a special husband.
The other night when we were at the hospital and Dale and I were sitting with the family after Mrs. Gayle had gone home to be with Jesus. I didn’t say much because I watched something beautiful, in the midst of the difficulty of losing the woman this family loved the most. They did exactly what she would have wanted they laughed they told stories, they shared memories. It was right then that i realized that what Mrs. Gayle did with her life was instill the courage, strength, love and humor into her children and grandchildren that made her so special.
There was a joy in the air, not happiness, but joy. Those two things are different, happiness comes to us when everything in our life is going the way we want, while joy comes bubbling up to the surface when everything seems to be going wrong.
That is called joy and it comes from the Lord alone.
If there is one thing that is for certain Gayle Taylor knew the Lord Jesus Christ.
That is why today even though hard, even though our hearts are burdened, we can feel a little bit of light in our sorrow because we know that the moment Mrs. Gayle left this old world she stepped out of pain and into glory, she stepped out of the shackles of this body and into the freedom of paradise.
Let’s consider briefly what Mrs. Gayle endured, she was given a very bleak diagnosis of cancer, this disease wracked her body, she spent countless hours weak and nauseous, she couldn’t do the things she loved to do. Monica said at one point she even said she wanted to simply go outside and dig in the dirt. It is amazing what we take for granted, R.Q. mentioned that even in the last weeks before she went to the hospital that Scottie her son had got the boat ready and they were going to take her fishing.
But due to how she felt she just couldn’t go.
But the good news this morning is that Gayle Taylor is standing with her feet planted on the golden shore of the promise land. She is totally captivated by the beauty of Heaven, and has been reunited with her loved ones that have gone home before her. There is no more pain, no more doctors appointments, no more chemotherapy. Just endless eternal joy!
While we may have felt compassion for her while she battled through this last year there is absolutely no reason to feel sorry for her now. On the contrary she feels sorry for us because were still here in this old world and she is safe in the arms of her Savior.
So with that in mind, I’d like to share with you somethings from Mrs. Gayles Bible that were on display in her life on a daily basis. Through these underlined and circled items from God’s word that Gayle found to be very important we can see what made her so special. These things characterized her in High Definition.
1. Selflessness
One of the pre-requisites for being a child of God is found in Luke
Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.
Mrs. Gayle has this underlined with double lines.
Luke 9
Right under it she has written NOT I BUT CHRIST
There is no truer statement about Gayle Taylors life than to say first of all that she truly believed this, but more than that she lived it.
Jesus said whatever you did for the least of these you have done it for me.
For years Mrs. Gayle drove a school bus touching the lives of thousands of children. Many who wrote on facebook how much she meant to them. This is a tough job, and it is truly a calling, but Gayle saw it as an opportunity to love kids that needed love.
Gayle was a servant leader, she lead by her example, she served her church here at Union Hill well, there are countless times she was in there serving food for a family who was grieving. Washing dishes straightening up. There was always one place I knew I could find her, doing what no one else wanted to do, washing the dishes, cleaning up and leaving the place better than the way she found it.
Both she and R. Q. were our ministers to Senior adults, taking the happy group on outings every month. I can’t tell you the number of times they must have been tired and worn out but they loved people, and they invested their time to making sure they brought joy to others. I know at one time they served our youth, years ago.
This has continued all the way up until she was overwhlemed by this cancer she battled so fiercly. Just a few short years ago there was a young man named William that we helped get into a house on his own, and when it got cold she made him a quilt the he still has with him today and William though it was so pretty he out it on his wall.
she used her gifts and abilities to serve the Lord Jesus Christ NOT I BUT CHRIST
In BIG BOLD LETTERS SHE HAS WRITTEN SLAVE TO GOD
That is the way she viewed her life and it showed in everything she did, Mrs. Gayle Taylor was a selfless woman because she understood the gospel. She knew Her Jesus and how selfless He was and she tried to live that way herself. Even though she was going through what she was going through when i would go to visit she would ask about my kids.
she would ask how Amy was doing, she would ask how other members were doing when they were going through trials or sickness. She was known for not thinking about herself but others.
2. Courage
This one got to me. As I got to spend several hours in her Bible I noticed a verse that she kept writing down, She had it written in the NT she had it written in the OT 5-6 different places she had this verse written down, and it was from the book of Joshua. As I turn there I find these words written at the top of the page.
COURAGE, DENY SELF, LEAD
Now here is why these are special these three things epitomized Mrs. Gayle.
I am telling you that watching her suffer well, with a smile on her face though it was not always there this precious lady ran the race set before her, she finished the race and she finished well.
that verse that was written all over her Bible was
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
(Grace)
Repeat verse
IN BIG BOLD WORDS AT THE END OF THIS SHE WRITES: (FOREVER)
Mrs. Gayle was able to face the trial she faced with grace because she had courage that come from knowing that God would never leave her nor forsake her. She was resting on the promises of God, and now she is receiving her ultimate reward.
She has these words written at the top of the page
FEAR NOT, STAND FIRM, BE STILL
These words are not mentioned in this passage so these had to have been thoughts that came to her mind when she was reading or listening.
I believe wholeheartedly that this was why Mrs. Gayle handled everything in her life with grace. I can only hope to have the same courage she did.
3. Assurance
Because Mrs. Gayle knew her Lord and Savior intimately, she had the assurance of knowing where she would be when this day came. We need to understand that this day did not take God by surprise He knew the day He would call Mrs. Gayle home.
Let’s see what assurance there is for someone who had a genuine faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Jesus speaks to us in
Peace
“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.
Though grief is normal, though the pain of losing someone is real, we should be careful to remember Mrs. Gayle is experiencing the reality of things she heard about her entire life.
2. Eternal Home
Eternal Home
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.
And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.
Right now at this very moment she is living in a house not made by human hands but by the nail scarred hands of Jesus Christ.
Jesus said He will come again and receive us to Himself, this happened Thursday evening, someone said that right before she stepped into eternity that she opened her eyes and lifted her hands.
John
I can promise you this on the promises of God’s word Mrs. Gayle was met by the angels, she was ushered into the presence of almighty god and she has been rejoicing ever since!
HER FAVORITE HYMN: WHAT A DAY THAT WILL BE WHEN MY JESUS I SHALL SEE AND I LOOK UPON HIS FACE THE ONE WHO SAVED ME BY HIS GRACE AND HE TAKES ME BY THE HAND AND LEADS ME TO THE PROMISE LAND WHAT A DAY GLORIOUS DAY THAT WILL BE.
IT IS THAT GLORIOUS DAY FOR MRS. GAYLE RIGHT NOW AS I SPEAK
3. Great Reunion
And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.”
It is not God’s will for this to be the last time you will see Mrs. Gayle, but if you will believe on Jesus as she has then you can have the assurance that you too one day will see her face again.
This is not Gayle there is no burst of life like were used to seeing, this is just a tent and we all have one, and one day our tent will wear out.
But the life that is within us that spark, our souls, never die.
Gayle Taylor is more alive today than she ever has been.
ONE DAY SHE IS COMING BACK WITH THE LORD TO RECIEVE A NEW BODY, ONE THAT IS FIT FOR ETERNITY AND SHE WILL BE RAISED UP ON THAT DAY!!! WHAT A DAY THAT WILL BE!!!
It is my prayer for you, and I believe it was her prayer for you, that you would know the peace, strength and assurance that she knew, by placing your faith in Jesus as your Lord and Savior.
So let’s take a page out of her book:
Let’s honor her by living life and enjoying every minute of it, by laughing, by seeking after the Lord Jesus Christ with our whole heart, by loving others and putting ourselves last, and by suffering well with grace and not complaining, and by leaving this Earth in a better condition than the way we found it.
Because thats exactly what she did.