Tears of sorrow, tears of joy

I attended the funeral for Gil Jarrard on Monday. Mr. Jarrard is the grandfather of Adam, a good friend of mine. During the funeral service at the church, Mr. Jarrard's grandchildren got up and spoke about their grandfather. Having never met Mr. Jarrard I enjoyed hearing from each grandchild as they shared fond memories of this great man. I heard a lot about the man. Mr. Jarrard was a veteran, having served his country in the armed forces when the duty called. He was a politician, serving on the Lebanon city council for more than 20 years. He was a friend to many helping out throughout the community. But mostly, he was a sold out, on fire, God-fearing, grace receiving believer in Christ. He would take any opportunity to share the Gospel with anyone. Not only did his family share of Mr. Jarrard's love for Christ, but also his love for his family. It was a very moving experience to be a part of. Though there were tears of grief and sorrow, there were quite a few tears of joy and hope. Hope in the promises of Jesus Christ and the His Father. Hope in the comfort that only comes from the Spirit. Hope that Their loved one is worshipping God in all His glory. And that is really the point of all of this. We too want that hope. We want that hope for ourselves and our loved ones.

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