"Well done, good and faithful servant"

Beverly Jean Gibson








A Prayer:

Father,
Thank you for your love and thank you that you are a God of
comfort, We ask that you comfort the family, church family,
and friends of Miss Jean today. We take time Lord to thank
you for Miss Jean's life. We thank you for her inspiration
and ministry in her family, church, and community.
We thank you for her spirit, her smile, and that twinkle in
her eye. We thank you for her wonderful sense of humor.
We thank you for the memories we have of her that we will
always cherish. Most of all, we thank you that, for those who
call you Savior and Lord, as she did, we have the promise of a
joyful reunion with her and you one day. We praise you now and
give you thanks always for your faithfulness endures forever.
For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory
forever and ever, AMEN.

This past Saturday we gathered together at Church to remember and celebrate the life of our dear sister-in-Christ, Beverly Jean Gibson, who went home to be with our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ, last Tuesday. The Service format and music was very moving and it all had been selected by "Miss Jean" ahead of time. Her two beloved sons, and Father Michael provided us with beautiful insight into her life in the comments that they made. It was a very precious and memorable service.

Two years ago, I spent the last moments of my mother's life with her and was by her side when she breathed her last breath. I have always described it exactly like her son Cliff did in his comments, concerning Miss Jean's passing. It was a gift that my mother gave me to be able to spend that last precious moment on earth with her.

In the Service bulletin for Miss Jean there is a familiar verse from Psalms. It is Psalms 116:15:

" Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints".

About a week after my mother's passing, I was having my evening prayer time and I had a curious question for the Lord. I prayed: "Lord, I know the Psalms say it is precious when a saint dies, but why is that exactly?" Well, God did not answer me right away, but He let me "sleep on it". The next morning I was having morning prayers when I heard His answer in my heart. He said: "It is precious to me because I love you and you are coming home to me". Tears filled my eyes, because I had never realized that His love for me includes His desire for me to be where He is. We so often only think about going home to be with Him, but He longs for us to be at home by His side when our mission on this earth is completed.

This past Tuesday, the mission of Miss Jean here on this earth was accomplished in full and it was time for the Lord to receive her unto the room in His mansion that was prepared for her. I picture in my mind her being welcomed home to a room that was well attended by all those who she had loved and served here on this earth. I have no doubt that the room was filled with great joy. In the midst of all the joy was our Lord Jesus himself who lovingly smiled at her and said, "well done, good and faithful servant..enter into the Joy of thy Lord". Miss Jean always had a smile on her face, but the smile she had when He said that to her, was the biggest of all.

I framed one of the bulletins from Miss Jean's service and placed it near my computer and next to pictures of my parents, as well as another dear friend, Geraldine, who have all gone home to be with the Lord. These saints are now part of the "great cloud of witnesses" in heaven that bear witness to the love, faithfulness, and reality of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Encouragement for today is found in the words of Hebrews Chapter 12, verse 1-2:
"Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God."

Have a Blessed Day,
Your Brother in Christ,
George