Becky's Eulogy
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You have decided the length of our lives.
You know how many months we will live,
and we are not given a minute longer.
Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.
A good name is better than precious ointment; and the day of death than the day of one’s birth.
A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps.
The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.
Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him.
But he is in one mind, and who can turn him? and what his soul desireth, even that he doeth. For he performeth the thing that is appointed for me: and many such things are with him.
Thou hast set a bound that they may not pass over; that they turn not again to cover the earth.
And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?
Title: Sorry But Not Sorry.
Please allow me a couple of minutes to explain this.
Some of us in some way or another have expressed our sympathy to Deacon Kevin in the passing of Sis. Beckay. Undoubtedly, perhaps there are some here today that have expressed these words “I’m sorry for your loss.” It is a common statement that we all have used from time to time to convey heartfelt sympathy, care, and support to those who are bereaved.
I want us to take a couple of minutes to evaluate the term loss in regards to our beloved Beckay.
What does it mean to suffer loss?
Well, one one suffers loss.....it means to lose something. I love words, because in our english language one word can have many meanings. I want to focus on these means in comparison to the life of Sis. Beckay Gray.
Lose- 1. to be deprived of or cease to have or retain (something).
2. To earn less or to subract from ones worth.
Loss......taken away. Yes Beckay was taken away from us. In her case.....it may seem that she loss her life. But she didn’t lose her life....she gained it.
For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.
No Beckay didn’t lose......one day she is going to have a crown of life! Even though she passed faith says, her faith says, our faith says that she will have eternal life!
3. Become unable to find something.
When you lose something you are unable to locate it. You have no clue or no idea where it is. There are times in some peoples lives that when they die.....you don’t know where they are going to spend eternity. In this instance.......I’m sorry that Beckay’s family, her friends, her church family, her co-workers and every one that she has impacted.....I’m sorry that Beckay has ceased from being with us in this life. But I am not sorry for your loss in regards of not knowing where Beckay is! Beckay’s family, her friends, her church family, we know where Beckay is:
Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.
But then there is another scripture that says:
We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.
4. Waste or fail to take advantage of (time or an opportunity).
You can lose time.....but this wasn’t the case for Sis. Beckay. She didn’t waste or fail to take advantage of time or an opportunity to do something to promote the kingdom of God. Every chance she got, she gave God the glory! Every chance she got, she testified about the goodness of Jesus! She couldn’t move like she use to be able to prior to her aneurysm.....but she was such an amazing person and she loved God so much that she didn’t allow her disability to stop her! Sometimes, if choir member can’t stand....they’ll stop singing. If a preacher can’t stand…they’ll stop preaching.....but not Beckay....she sat in her seat and swayed and lifted up her voice and gave God glory and you ought to take a page out of her life.....don’t allow adverse situations to cause you stop serving the Lord, stop giving God glory.....you PRAISE THE LORD ANYHOW......YOU PRAISE HIM IN HURT......YOU PRAISE HIM IN YOUR PAIN.....YOU PRAISE HIM AND LOVE HIM ANYHOW! For over 9 years, I watched Beckay......she couldn’t move as fast as she use to be able to move.....but she didn’t allow that to stop her. There have been Sunday’s that I’ve been up preaching.....and I’m close to finishing up the sermon for the day and I see that back door come open.....and I see Beckay with one hand on her walker and one hand in the air coming in the church giving God glory. She could’ve stayed home.....but she had a determination to get to the house of God. Here it is, we have people not on walkers, got full use of their limbs, and could care less if they make it to church! But Beckay......should be a shining example of how we should have a burning desire to get to the house of the LORD! It seemed like to me, that after Beckay had her aneurysm that she got louder......maybe it’s me. I remember Beckay was a bit on the quiet side.....but after the aneurysm......Beckay got more vocal with her praise! I can understand.....when God has been good to you.....when you depend on and love God as much as she did......I can understand why I could hear her in the back giving God glory. Turn to your neighbor and tell them “neighbor.....don’t fail to take advantage of the time God has given you.....give God glory, live for the LORD, serve the LORD with all your heart, mind, and strength.
5. To fail to win (a game or contest)
There are some who upon hearing the news of Sis. Beckay’s passing we felt sorry for her. But I strongly believe that if she could speak to you today, she would tell you not to be sorry for her but to rejoice. Because.....on the outside looking in, it may seem as if Beckay’s death was a tragedy......ahhhh but when you look at her passing through the eyes of faith....you don’t see tragedy.....you see victory!
Paul said in 2 Tim 4:7
I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:
There are only two ways to get out of this race.....either you walk off and quit....or either you keep pressing and you finish the race! We rejoice today.....because Beckay finished the race! We rejoice today because enspite of everything Beckay went through.....she never gave up, she never walked off the course, she never quit! We rejoice today because the bible says “The race is not given to the swift or to the strong but to the one the endureth until the end! We rejoice because even though suffered an aneurysm she never gave up! Just because bad things happen, just because difficult moments arrive doesn’t mean you give up........you keep going! You hold on to your faith, you believe God anyhow, you love God anyhow, you praise the LORD anyhow! This is what Beckay did.....this is what Beckay lived! For over 9 years, Beckay NEVER wavered, flinched, or retracted from her faith in God......she believed God for healing. That’s the type of faith that the writer of Hebrews attributed to the heroes of faith!