Saved by Grace

It is early evening and I have just come from the funeral of my pastor and brother in Christ, Dan Cummings. I have learned and grown under the teachings of 'Pastor Dan' in my own walk. I will miss his smile and our brief conversations on the important things in life. We talked about why God gives us pain. Dan always struggled with that question from an early age when he saw cancer slowly remove life from his mother.
We would read the dead guys and he always graciously accepted my copies from Thomas Boston or any other number of Puritan writers. I love Spurgeon and would share his sermons with him almost weekly. It is with a selfish sadness to let him go. I know he is encouraging each one of his flock to love Christ more, to know Christ more ,and to share Christ more. I had the opportunity when my Mom died to tell him that story. My Mom was in the rehab center and had been semi comotose for a day or so. I had the opportunity to share the Gospel with my sister and brother in law. (As Dan would state -the unvarnished Truth) . My Mom suddenly came awake and looked at My sister and then to me with the sparkling blue eyes of a child. I saw a peace and understanding that only comes from God. I shared that story with Dan on my return to Michigan. He was quiet and then told me how good it is to witness such an event and to have that sense of peace. I pray that Dan's family has that same peace tonight.
May each of of us love and honor God in all we do. Let our 'resolve' to find our joy in Christ and Christ alone. Let us Guard the Truth of the Gospel in our hearts and minds and may our lives bear witness to the love and mercy of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I am not my own. I was bought and paid for on a Cross. Let us not worry about who we know or what we do but who we are to become in Christ. Ego Non Sum Ego