WACKY WEDNESDAY WISDOM: Treasures in Heaven

      I've never been a part of anything like it. Funerals can go lots of directions. Sometimes they involve a lot of crying. Or they may include a lot of reverent hushed and soft voices in the congregation. Occasionally the pastor doesn't know exactly what to say about the deceased, which can lead to an awkward atmosphere. But the day of my friend Don Carpenter's funeral, there was little of any of that. It was filled with laughter. It was filled with praise for the Lord. It was filled with love and remembrance. It was truly a celebration of life. It was exactly what Don would have wanted because he was a bigger than life man who absolutely loved people and truly loved the Lord with all his heart. 

     As the interim pastor at his church, I was honored to lead the service. But one never knows how these things are going to go so I was prepared for all types of reactions during the service. It didn't take but a few moments to realize this event was to be a celebration. A celebration of a man who loved his Savior, loved his family, loved sitting in his front porch rocker in his overalls, and loved pretty much everyone he met. 

     Don's wife Amy was the pillar of strength. Even on the day of her husband's funeral, she was sharing with others what God had taught her during her daily morning devotion. She was ministering to others when by all rights, others should have been ministering to her. I was amazed and inspired. Don's daughters and son were the same way, as well as the rest of his family. 

     The church was full thirty minutes before the service started. Eventually the crowd filled the church, the fellowship hall, and the picnic shelter- where they listened via radio technology. And here's what they heard:

     They heard songs of praise, they heard stories about how Don had blessed their lives. They heard two women claim that had Amy not married Don, they certainly would have. One of the other speakers sang a line or two from Peter Pan about how he didn't want to grow up. Everyone said it described Don perfectly. Not to be outdone, I sang one line of the Commodores song "Brick House", the song Don summoned to lower the stress and tension in his family during those few times when there was stress or tension. (Lionel Richie need not fear as I'll be sticking to my day job). 

     The last sermon Don ever heard was a sermon I shared about Grace a week before he went to be with the Lord. The last song Don ever sang in a church was that same Sunday when we closed the service with Amazing Grace. Fittingly, we closed his funeral service with the entire congregation singing Amazing Grace a cappella. It was spine tingling. 

     A day or two before the funeral, Amy had taken me into Don's bathroom (yes, she wanted me to see his bathroom!) to show me where he spent his last moments before a sudden heart attack claimed his life as he was preparing to come to church that fateful Sunday morning. The radio was tuned to his favorite Christian radio station and there's no doubt in his last moments, Don was praising the Lord through song. 

     She showed me his mirror in the bathroom and the entire chapter of Matthew 6 was posted where he could read it every day. Matthew 6 reminded Don daily to "Seek first the Kingdom of God", and to "lay up treasures in Heaven, not on earth". So of course, his funeral service ended at the graveside with the reading of Matthew 6:19-2, which says- "Do not store up treasures on earth where moth and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also".

     Like other Christians who lived their lives to the fullest, Don lived a spirit-filled life that impacted others. And he leaves behind a family whose members are so strong in their faith, they're spending their time even now trying to figure out ways to minister to others instead of the other way around. 

     I'll miss Don, but I won't miss out on Don. Because even though he spent his life storing up treasures in heaven, he leaves behind a treasure chest of memories that those of us who knew him will enjoy for the rest of our lifetimes.