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As a young minister, I was asked by a funeral director to hold a
grave-side service for a homeless man with no family or friends.
The funeral was to be held at a cemetery way back in the country, and
this man would be the first to be laid to rest there.
As I was not familiar with the backwoods area, I became lost; and being
a typical man, did not stop for directions.
I finally arrived an hour late. I saw the backhoe and the crew, who was
eating lunch, but the hearse was nowhere in sight.
I apologized to the workers for my tardiness, and stepped to the side of
the open grave, where I saw the vault lid already in place.
I assured the workers I would not hold them up for long, but this was
the proper thing to do.
The workers gathered around, still eating their lunch. I poured out my
heart and soul.
As I preached the workers began to say "Amen," "Praise the
Lord," and "Glory"!
I preached, and I preached, like I'd never preached before: from Genesis
all the way to Revelation.
I closed the lengthy service with a prayer and walked to my car.
As I was opening the door and taking off my coat, I overheard one of the
workers saying to another,
"I ain't never seen anything like that before, and I've been
putting in septic tanks for twenty years,"
__________________
Isaiah 26:10 Though grace is shown to the wicked, they do not learn righteousness; even in a land of uprightness they go on doing evil and regard not the majesty of the Lord.
As a young minister, I was asked by a funeral director to hold a
grave-side service for a homeless man with no family or friends.
The funeral was to be held at a cemetery way back in the country, and
this man would be the first to be laid to rest there.
As I was not familiar with the backwoods area, I became lost; and being
a typical man, did not stop for directions.
I finally arrived an hour late. I saw the backhoe and the crew, who was
eating lunch, but the hearse was nowhere in sight.
I apologized to the workers for my tardiness, and stepped to the side of
the open grave, where I saw the vault lid already in place.
I assured the workers I would not hold them up for long, but this was
the proper thing to do.
The workers gathered around, still eating their lunch. I poured out my
heart and soul.
As I preached the workers began to say "Amen," "Praise the
Lord," and "Glory"!
I preached, and I preached, like I'd never preached before: from Genesis
all the way to Revelation.
I closed the lengthy service with a prayer and walked to my car.
As I was opening the door and taking off my coat, I overheard one of the
workers saying to another,
"I ain't never seen anything like that before, and I've been
putting in septic tanks for twenty years,"
__________________
Isaiah 26:10 Though grace is shown to the wicked, they do not learn righteousness; even in a land of uprightness they go on doing evil and regard not the majesty of the Lord.
