"Hey Ma'am..."

Sunday morning, Daddy came up stairs,
asked us to all come in Noel's room and told us that a dear friend, fellow brother in Christ and
church choir director had been found lying in his pasture and wasn't doing well.
We then prayed for Mr. Nathan and when about our usual Sunday morning habits.
Then we got a phone call.
Somewhere around 8:00 or 8:30 on Sunday morning,
this dear man passed away into glory.
It has been a long time since someone we knew and dearly loved, has passed away.

We went to church that morning and I have never had a harder time singing praises
to our Lord.
The hardest one was,
"I'll fly Away."

In our church there was the strangest emptiness there.
Mr. Nathan wasn't standing up there with his bright smile, red socks and white hair leading the music.
I think one of the hardest things was he met, it seemed like everyone when they came in the door of the church and if you were a lady he would say,
"Hey Ma'am."
And then give you a peppermint.
I don't know how his pockets never bulged with all those peppermints in them.


The receiving friends was on Tuesday evening and I have never cried like that.
I was just barely able to tell his wife,
one of the sweetest little lady's you will ever meet that I loved her.

Then, all of us sisters were asked to do the hardest thing any of us have ever done.
We sang at his funeral.
It was an old Negro spiritual called,
"Wayfaring Stranger."
But it was so amazing because it like God gave me the greatest peace I have ever had I think.
As we were singing, in the middle of the first verse I almost started crying then I looked out the big window in our church and the most AWESOME peace flowed over me.
Right then I knew that people were praying for us and that it was going to be okay and it was!

Thank you Lord for that wonderful peace!

We then went to the grave site and it was not your normal burial.
Both his son's brought their guitars and many other men did and it was an ol' gospel singin'.
It was so wonderful.
Not only was it wonderful, it was amazing, everyone there wanted to be there and they were sad but they were happy at the same time because we all knew that Mr. Nathan would want us to be happy.
And then we sang,
"I'll Fly Away."

As we were singing this wonderful old hymn the biggest breeze came up into that tent!
It was amazing.
If you had witnessed that, there would be no way you could say that there is no God.
He gave us all the most peaceful reassurance that when we all get to Heaven not only what glorious day that will be but Mr. Nathan will be there with a peppermint in his hand welcoming us, with his big smile, saying,
"Hey Ma'am."