How to Hit a Home Run at a Funeral

Julie and I went to a funeral today for a member at church whose father just died. I didn’t expect many of the members would be there because first off… no one knew the old man. But then also because this particular family doesn’t attend very well and on top of that they just don’t mix socially very well so I didn’t figure many of our members would be there and turns out I was right about that.

Anyway on the way there I told Julie that we were hitting a home run today and she said with who? And I said with God. Then she commented that the reason she thought it was important to go was because of the way it made her feel when folks attended her dad’s funeral.

Now I may be saying a little too much here but when Julie’s dad died there weren’t a great many people who attended his funeral and I think she was a little hurt by that but she really appreciated those who did come to offer their condolences. So you can see how important it was for her to attend this funeral for someone she didn’t even know. By the way… she has a great heart.

Anyway I know this about myself… I usually cry at funerals but I didn’t think I would at this one because I only knew one person there... our member But as I went to the front to offer my condolences to the wife and the other kids and their spouses… the tears started flowing (surprise, surprise, surprise) I apologized to them and explained that we knew the son and he attended church with us. When I got to the last person on the row (our member) we both cried and hugged each other.

I’m kind of reminded about that thing that Jesus said about not just inviting your friends to supper because you know they’ll invite you back but how you should invite the folks that no one else is inviting.

That’s kind of like funerals… don’t just attend the funerals for your friends but attend the funerals of those whom you might not know so well. Everyone has feelings don’t they?

Who knows… you might just hit a home run with God or lift the spirits of one who is meek and gentle in spirit.