I came home from Aunt Paulma's funeral today. Her children got up and spoke verses from the bible, followed by her sisters, Verona and Esme. Then the preacher got up and preached about the judgement day to come. We went and buried Aunt Paulma in the same bed of funeral-home as my Grandmother is buried. Afterwards, we went back to the church and ate.

The church was packed with relatives I hadn't known or seen since I was 5. Strangers. All of them. Family D.s with hair coming out of their ears, literally. When it was time to sit down and eat, the table with my family was full, and so I sat next to a certain elderly couple. There was a lady that sat down across from me and introduced herself, and then introduced the man sitting right next to me, and then proceeded to check the two ladies sitting next to her - to see if they were having a good time. So, I sat and ate. I was praying whether I should speak with this woman or not, because she was sitting right there, and I know the Lord would want me to speak to her, even though she's a stranger. And so she said that she had to get up and get a plate of food.

She took the papers with her that said, 'How to be saved.' I was longing for and her and waiting for her to get back so we talk, to see what she would say. And so when she returned and sat down, I said, So have you ever had to use that stick of yours before? (When she introduced herself she said that the stick that she had was her rod of correction...) And she said Yes, several times with people with guns. She said, I'm a minister, and crime is getting tougher in this city. And so I replied to her, seeing she opened up the spiritual by saying 'minister,' and said, Oh, do you watch Christian television? Do you get TBN? There's this show on TBN called Way of the Master where they go and share the Gospel with people out on the streets. Ever seen it? She said, Maybe a long time ago... So then I started talking more about the show to see if she'd pick up on what it was and say, Ooh, with Kirk Cameron, I've seen that! - This is what's usually happened when I mention the show. But she said, How old are you? I said, 20. She said, well, you need to talk to people your age. I'm 60. Do you see the age difference? She took out a napkin and wrote it down, as a subtraction problem. And said, Do you see the difference? I felt very bad. But I went back into the show and went on, and she said, You need to come to a bible study at this church and talk to people your age. Talk to the Pastor. I mentioned that I talked to him earlier, but that still didn't settle her stomach. There was no love in her words at all, no compassion, she was being very hard. At that time, my sister and my cousins across the room called to me. As they did, I looked away and asked them what was wrong, and then she got up and left while I had my head turned.

I sat there for a good while and thought about it, and I felt really bad. Do I need to be 60 in order to have a conversation with someone who's supposed to be a minister of the Gospel? I mean, I felt really bad. But I prayed, and said I trust in the Word rather than my own eyes. She had no love, and carried a stick, so she may be a minister, but she's not a minister of the Word and certainly not 'of God,' because Jesus stated clearly several times, You will know them by their fruit. If a man say they follow Christ and don't have love, they don't have anything at all (1 Cor. 13:3). And that really made me look at myself really bad, because what if I don't have love? What if I can't love my neighbour as myself and fulfill that second commandment of Christ's? Man did I feel bad. If I have not love, I have nothing. She said that she carried the stick for the people out there on the streets, and not the people in the church. What if inside I harbour the same evil sentiments?

Oh I have sympathy for the lady. Because it IS hard to love people outside of the church. :-( But carrying a stick is no solution that Jesus endorsed, and I didn't mention that, but what if spiritually I'm doing the same? The Word says in 2nd Tim 2:24-25 "And the servant of the Lord must not strive, but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient"
"In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves, if God peradventure will give them repentance unto the acknowledging of the truth."

I thank my Lord Jesus Christ for the minister, Mr. Smith, at my church that really sat down with me and had a good talk with my sister and I when we first entered the church, not out of the Pride of Life, I'm 40 and you're not, but as a minister of the Word, a disciple and follower of Christ, showing love in sincerety and truth. I loved it, and I really thank the Lord for that minister. I'm going to pray for this lady. Please pray for those at the funeral that heard the message preached today. The Pastor didn't directly preach the Gospel, but he did talk about Judgment and Jesus spoke of the Holy Spirit convicting those of Judgement (John 16:8)... I may never see some of those family members ever again.

Praise the Lord!