Mrs. Evelyn Grainger
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Family and friends we have gathered here today to celebrate the life and home going of our dear friend Evelyn Grainger. When i think of Mrs. Evelyn I think of humility and sweetness. She was soft spoken but didn’t mind telling you what was on her mind. But she always did so with class and kindness.
I remember almost 9 years ago when I was seeking the Lord about becoming the next pastor at Union Hill going to visit Charles and Evelyn at their home. I sat there visiting with them and Mr. Charles spoke up and said well mr Kyle are you going to be our next pastor? To be honest at the moment I didn’t know and so I told him I was unsure but I was seeking the Lord about it. We had a great time talking and getting to know them.
But there was one thing I was certain to hear about every time I went to their home to visit, I was going to hear about the grandkids, every time I would go I would get an update on all of you and even though you don’t know me, I feel as though I know you.
Another reason I loved Mrs. Evelyn was her special kindness to me, it was while I was still a youth pastor that we had some gathering at the church. You know when the baptist get together we gotta eat. Anyway, we gathered together and she brought a coconut cake, yall let me tell you something that thing was fine.
Anyway she heard me bragging on it and I didn’t know at that time that she was the one who made the thing. She overheard me talking about how much I liked it and everytime we had a get together at the church she never failed to come and let me know she made me a coconut cake.
“I got ya cake over there” and she would laugh with that little chuckle and grin.
As I said before every time I would go over there I would get an update on her kids and grandkids and she always beamed when she spoke of them.
Mrs. Evelyn loved her family with all her heart and kept tabs on them, she was very proud of each of you. She was in love with her best friend her husband Charles and life just wasn’t the same ever since he went home to be with the Lord. She was trying to find her new normal, but it was just different. You see Evelyn and Charles were connected in a deep way.
You just never saw one without the other. So it has been a very difficult journey for Mrs. Evelyn since she lost her other half. Today we are gathered here with heavy hearts but it is also bittersweet because today in this moment Mrs. Evelyn is in the arms of the Lord Jesus; side by side with her other half Mr. Charles.
You see while this hurts us to know that Mrs. Evelyn is no longer with us, we do not grieve as those who have no hope, because Mrs. Evelyn had a strong faith in her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, she trusted in Christ finished work on the cross to forgive her of her sins. She faithfully served her church family for years, and had a deep trust in the Lord.
We would often sit and talk and she would tell me about the things she was going through or even when Charles was going through things concerning his health, but she would say that all in the Lords hands.
Thats what I would like to speak about, the hope we have in Christ.
Paul writes to Christians in the book of 1 Corinthians and he informs us of a
A Necessary Change
A Necessary Change
A change must occur if we as Christians are going to inherit Heaven.
Brothers, I tell you this: Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, and corruption cannot inherit incorruption.
1 Corinthians 15:
The Lord tells us in His word that even though we might like to we cannot go to Heaven in our earthly bodies. None of us can stand in Gods presence in our flesh and blood.
the Bible tells us that Heaven is a place of perfection, where there is no more sickness or crying or pain. It is a place of peace, where we actually see the glory of the face of Jesus Christ. It is a place of beauty as Revelation describes the throne of God which has all of the colors of the rainbow bursting out from behind it.
The Bible tell us that there is an angelic choir singing praises to our God because He sent Jesus to set us free from the curse of sin and death.
I want you to know this today, that MRs. Evelyn is more alive and more free today than she ever has been down here.
But in order for her to go to this peace filled paradise she had to leave this earthly body here.
You see our flesh is corrupt, we are all still here on this earth in corrupted flesh. We sin we hurt we grow tired and sick.
This was one of the things that was so hard for Mrs. Evelyn over the last few years, her health was breaking down. I would walk into the hospital room and she would say well I am here again… with those raised eyebrows letting me know she was ready to go back to her house.
the ups and downs of her health was a constant thorn in her side, add to that the fact that she was living without her beloved Charles at her side and it made for a challenge.
However because Evelyn placed her faith and trust in Jesus Christ she left this old world behind and went to her heavenly home, which tells us was made by the very hand of Jesus Himself!
What a beautiful thought of a heavenly home built by the hands of the son of God.
But she had to be set free to enjoy this reality. set free from the bondage that is this ole body.
the Bible informs us that Heaven is a physical place, and one where will know with clarity who are loved ones are. I believe with all my heart that when Mrs. Evelyn left this old world she was met by angels and carried into the presence of God.
she has seen the God she has worshipped her whole life and he has met her, and then as the brightness of the glory of God shined like the sun I believe she was met by a very special friend Mr. Charles.
You see for a Christian this is not a sad ending, this is a beautiful new beginning. While we wish we would not have to grieve the loss of Mrs. Evelyn at this moment lets try to realize that everything she placed her hope in is now her reality.
But in order to receive that gift she had to take a trip, one that we cannot go on at this moment.
But is is a place we can maek preparations to go to.
A Future Hope
A Future Hope
Listen! I am telling you a mystery:
We will not all fall asleep,
but we will all be changed,
1 Corinthians 15:51
There is coming a day when everything you hear in sermons will be true, there is coming a day where Jesus will return and take His children to be with Him, some of us even in this room may be alive to see that day.
WE WILL NOT ALL FALL ASLEEP
You see to us Evelyn has fallen asleep to this Earth but I promise you she awoke in glory.
However some of us will go to sleep in the same way she has to this old Earth but not all of us will some of us will still be here on this Earth when the Lord comes back and if you are saved then you will be changed.
You will like Evelyn go from being unfit to inherit the kingdom of Heaven to being transformed into a person who can inherit the kingdom, intoa glorified body fir for paradise.
in a moment, in the blink of an eye,
at the last trumpet.
For the trumpet will sound,
and the dead will be raised incorruptible,
and we will be changed.
For this corruptible must be clothed
with incorruptibility,
and this mortal must be clothed
with immortality.
1 Corinthians 15:
Then and only then can we enter the kingdom of Heaven if we remain.
I want to tell you we are all human beings and none of us in this room are perfect, but I want you to know that Mrs. Evelyn would want to know you will see her again one day. Will you be ready when that day comes?
In this life the worst thing that can happen to us is to die. BUt not for someone like Mrs. Evelyn, it was the best gift she has recieved because she is with her friends and family, she is set free from the pains of the body, no more hospital visits or meds to take, no more surgeries to have, seeing her Lord and Savior face to face and also walking hand in hand with the love of her life.
All because she had a relationship with Jesus Christ
This is why the next verse is true for Mrs. Evelyn
When this corruptible is clothed
with incorruptibility,
and this mortal is clothed
with immortality,
then the saying that is written will take place:
Death has been swallowed up in victory.
Death, where is your victory?
Death, where is your sting?
1 Corinthians 15:
But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory
through our Lord Jesus Christ!
Therefore, my dear brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the Lord’s work, knowing that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
1 Corinthians 15:
Mrs. Evelyn served the Lord while here and her labor was not in vain.
She came to church even when it was hard, and that was not in vain, and today she has recived her reward for trusting in Jesus.
I wonder if you will see her again?
If you are a child of God who has repented of your sins and trusted in JEsus alone, then you can rest assured there will be a beautiful reunion one day.
Just as there has been for her and Mr. Charles .
(song)
(Pray)