Jeff Green Funeral
Notes
Transcript
CD: Serenaded by Angels
Obituary
Jeffrey Dewayne Green, 50, of Perryville, Missouri died Sunday, July 26, 2020 at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau, Missouri.
He was born February 25, 1970 in St. Louis to Junior and Annie Picke Green.
He and Brenda Cummings were married September 20, 2000. She survives in Perryville, Missouri.
He had been a truck driver for Mississippi Lime in Ste. Genevieve and was a member of One Hope Church in Perryville.
Survivors include his one son, Michael (Cristy) Hemmingway of Portageville, Missouri; one sister, Debbie (Joe) Jakoubek of St. Louis, Missouri; two brothers, Kenny Green and Steve Green, both of Ste. Genevieve, Missouri.
He was preceded in death by his parents.
Thank you to Ford & Young Chapel for providing services for last night's visitation and our time together today. Burial will be at Home Cemetery.
Eulogy
I met Jeff shortly after we moved to Perryville. Jeff was funny and loved to joke. He and Brenda had met on a blind date, and it was his humor that made her feel so comfortable around him, and the next thing you know, they were dating. Jeff was also sweet and very generous. Brenda told me that whenever they went out, she had to be careful about looking at stuff in shops, because if anything caught her eye, Jeff wanted to buy it for her. And even though they didn’t have a lot, Jeff never hesitated to bless others who had a need. Jeff also loved anything to do with God. On one trip to Florida, Jeff had to stop and visit the Holy Land Experience. And then they stopped again on their way home! When he wasn’t in church, he was listening to sermons and scriptures on TV and over the internet.
To hear him talk, you would never have guessed that Jeff was struggling so hard with a heart condition. He had a lot of plans. Places he wanted to go. He loved the ocean, and he always wanted to be out on the water. There were things he wanted to do. But then suddenly, it was out of his hands. Before anyone knew it, he was gone. No time to say goodbye.
It’s funny how we always think we have enough time to do everything we want. I need to do this now. I can get to that later. We especially do this with our relationships. I don’t have time for them right now. This is important. They’ll understand. But then we lose the opportunity before we know it.
My in-laws were on vacation visiting family on the east coast. It was their last day, and they were packing to drive home. My mother-in-law stepped into the bathroom to get some stuff and came back into the bedroom, just a moment later, to find my father-in-law collapsed in the room. A sudden heart attack took him instantly. She didn’t get to say goodbye. I was on the mission field overseas, and I had gotten word that my dad was in the hospital because of congestive heart failure. So I called my mom’s cell phone. She was with dad. He was getting a deep breathing treatment, and the doctor said he would be home in a day or two. Everything was fine. I asked her to have him call when he finished his treatment. An hour later, the phone rang. It was my mom. Dad’s gone. I didn’t get to say goodbye.
As for man, his days are like grass; he flourishes like a flower of the field; for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more.
We live in a world where everything is temporary. Given the right circumstances, even the mightiest mountain can crumble. As it says in Ecclesiastes 3,
For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.
There is a season for EVERYTHING. Unfortunately, seasons pass. And it’s always sad when that season is time that we have with a loved one. Especially when we don’t get to say goodbye. All we have is the regret for the time we DIDN’T spend with them.
But that doesn’t have to be the case. When my dad died, I hurt because I couldn’t say goodbye. But my father knew Jesus. He had confessed his sins to Jesus made Christ lord of his life. When my father passed away, he immediately entered into the Lord’s presence. And because I have the same confidence in knowing that Christ is MY lord, I know that I will see my dad again someday, and we will never be parted again. I didn’t get to say goodbye, but I will get to say hello.
And this is the hope we have in Jesus Christ, that through Him, we can all have eternal life. It is nothing we can earn, but is rather a free gift to all who will receive it by calling on the name of Jesus. Jeff knew Jesus. He may not have been perfect, but he knew Jesus. So I am convinced that Jeff is healed and whole in God’s presence right now. I am confidant that I will see Jeff again in New Jerusalem, where we will live in eternal joy. My prayer today is that everyone in this room will know this confidence as well, and enter into an intimate relationship with our loving Heavenly Father. And then one day, we will be reunited with Jeff in Paradise. Maybe we didn’t get to say goodbye, but because of Jesus, we CAN get to say hello.
Song: Wish You Were Here
Benediction
Announcement: There will be a dinner at One Hope Church, at the intersection of Hwy 51 and Grand, after the graveside service. All are welcome to attend. Alcohol is not permitted on the grounds.
Dismissal music