Something to share this morning~

I first off want to apologize for this post being long. BUT it should be worth reading - for someone that may need it this morning.
One of the things that I admire most about my pastor is his leadership during hard times. I have seen him handle the hardest of funerals over the years and that has to be one of the hardest jobs that a lead pastor of a church has to do. Yes they get to celebrate in baptisms and bringing people to Christ but they also have the lows in delivering a message of Jesus when someone passes. Hopefully during those services - the person and their family knows Jesus.
I remember when my mom was sick, my Aunt Sharon and Uncle Buster's Pastor from their church came to visit my mom and the family almost every single day. It was that country church with the country Pastor that got me through some tough times. Pastor Sparks is a gentle man and a man of God to the fullest. His life is full of examples of being a godly man. He spoke at my moms funeral service and he and I have spoken on several occassions about doing the Lords work. I am honored to know Pastor Sparks and in awe of his love for the Lord and sharing the message of Jesus Christ. A Pastors job has to be one of the toughest but yet the most rewarding at times.
Yesterday, I left the office and found a place here on campus to spend some quiet time in prayer. Its a spot that I have walked to on MANY occassions. I wanted to pray for a young 16 year old girl that my Aunt and Uncle knew that passed away in a car wreck just a few days before. She was on her way to school that morning and did not make it. Yesterday was her service and I felt it on my heart to pray for this family and for Sonia Renee Luster. I prayed that she knew Jesus and especially that her family knows Jesus during this hard time. I prayed for Pastor Sparks to have the composure to stand tall for Jesus and to deliver a soul saving message and to remind these young ones that life is short and can end at any time. During my prayer - there was noise behind me in the woods and in the bushes. It was about 15 feet from me and I turned and staring at me was a big buck. Middle of the day and in the middle of a University Campus. He was not sure what I was or if I was going to harm him - so he was stomping his foot and grunting. I did not move but thought how cool it was to see him right when I was praying. He then sprung to his left and he and 3 other deer moved from the woods, across the path where I was and into the next patch of woods. They stopped and he turned to look back at me, as if saying - I am ok now - scared at first but I have moved to this new place and all is well. This was during the same time frame that Pastor Sparks would be speaking to hundreds of teenagers, parents, teachers, family and friends of Sonia's. It was a gentle reminder that God is still in control - even during times that it appears that control is completely lost.

With permission from my Aunt Sharon - I wanted to share that email of the service yesterday - It is powerful and worth sharing. I have lots of young people I am around every day not only here at work but at church in our youth ministry, our k-5 ministry, in the schools and "MyKids" who I am doing life with. God does not see death as an end and even when taking a life - He uses it for His purposes. I pray that many yesterday put their faith and trust in Him yesterday - even as they are preparing to bury a friend, a school mate, a girlfriend, a daughter. Glory be to God even during our darkest hours.
Here is my Aunt Sharons emails yesterday:
Part 1: The funeral was unreal. There were kids lined up the walls of the church and the church full. They were all crying Pastor Sparks told of a soldier in a fox hole long ago that was dying and he asked another soldier if he knew anything from the Bible. The soldier said "no, but wait I remember a song from Bible school when I was a kid" he sang "Jesus loves me" to the one dying and the dying soldier said "you mean Jesus loves me I never knew that" and then the story goes the guy said "I love HIM too" and then he died. All those kids were crying (so were we) Pastor Sparks sang that song softly with no music, it was so touching. Pastor Sparks had everyone to bow and close their eyes and then went through the steps to being saved and asking Jesus into their hearts if they had not. It was unreal. I believe there were young people giving their hearts to Jesus they were ripe in their grief for the Lord this morning.

Part 2: It has been a long time since I have seen that many teens together. I think the whole school was there as well as the principal, asst principal, and some of the teachers. It was awesome, all shapes, all sizes, all colors, they were all bound together in one accord in our church, we (those of us from the church) sat back in the overflow section and just watched in awe. Maybe some of them their first time in church. Maybe some of them on drugs......maybe rebellous.....maybe pregnant......maybe ....it goes on and on but they all looked from one to the other with a wonder in their eyes....kind of like saying....this is real.....there is another world....this really does happen. I really feel led to say someone's heart or maybe a lot of hearts were changed today. Or at least they are thinking how quick it happens, why she was on her way to school, to class just like they were. The girls parents were seperated yet they were there together and clinging to each other. She was a "premie" two months early born to her mother at 30 years old after saying she couldn't have a child, a miracle, and yet, there was a reason she had to go so soon. Could it be for the almost two hundred teenagers packed in our church???? For the parents???? Like the deer, could it be she is now free, and three friends gave their life to God through her death????? Could it be like that soldier years ago in that trench dying hearing another scared soldier sing Jesus Loves Me and knowing at that moment that it was true?????? I think there were numerous scared teenagers needing to hear Pastor Sparks sing that song ever so softly this morning to them. It was as if it was God himself singing it. It was awesome. There is always a reason....we can't see it, but it is there.