Tuesday, 03 July 2012

• We'll Work Till Jesus Comes

  O land of rest, for thee I sigh!

  When will the moment come

  When I shall lay my armor by

  And dwell in peace at home?

  We’ll work till Jesus comes,

  We’ll work till Jesus comes,

  We’ll work till Jesus comes,

  And we’ll be gathered home. 

  Even as I type these lryics to my Grandfather's favorite hymn, the tears stream down my face as I think of how he completely embodied the message of this song. I think of the man who took his new bride, and with just a suitcase or two, rode to South Eastern Bible Institute to follow the calling that God had put on his life.  The man who, so humbly, then served in ministry over fifty years in a variety of roles - from serving the District Office to local congregations, from teaching at Bible School to teaching his own family to love the Lord.  He was faithful to the call.

  We'll work till Jesus comes.

  Grandpa didn't ever "arrive" and stop doing what God called him to do.  When he resigned as Sr. Pastor at Harrisburg First A/G, I remember that he made it clear he was resigning, not retiring.  For years later, he was faithful to serve however he could - by doing interm pastorate work, having a faithful visitation ministry with my grandmother, and supporting missionaries.

  Missions. This is something Grandpa didn't leave to others to do.  I remember talking to my grandfather about challenges facing the church in the 21st century, and he told me we needed to send more missionaries to the Arab world - that there was such a need for the gospel there.  But Grandpa didn't just talk about the needs - he did something.  As he faithfully supported his church missions program, he also took on several missionaries to personally support. And he prayed, faithfully for those missionaries.  I owe a debt of gratitude to my grandparents for all their prayers for me while I was overseas.  It breaks my heart a little to know that Grandpa won't ever see me enter full-time missions work, and that I won't have him as a prayer supporter back in the US, but I know he'd be proud.  His fervent support of missions, all through his life, has impacted me, and I'm grateful for that influence.

  We'll work till Jesus comes.

  Sometimes people think I am a little crazy, with everything that I try to do at the church.  I usually say I get my work ethic from my mom, but I know where she got it - Grandpa.  When one of his churches couldn't afford a janitor, grandpa was the one who led people in cleaning the church himself.  I remember thinking as a young kid, why would the Sr. Pastor of a church want to scrub toilets?  But nothing was "beneath" him.  He served anywhere and everywhere he could.

  We'll work till Jesus comes.

  And that was really the theme of his life. I know it threw me when he requested this hymn in church and I had to sightread it from the piano, but I got thru it, and grew to like this song.  And this was the theme of this life - working for the Lord, until the Lord took him home.  It is impossible to sum up everything he was in one short essay - but I believe he was faithful to what God called him to do, and he never gave up.

  Congratulations, Grandpa.  You ran a good race.  You loved your family. You served the Lord. And you furthered His work here on earth.  Great is your reward in heaven.

   

  We’ll work till Jesus comes,

  We’ll work till Jesus comes,

  We’ll work till Jesus comes,

  And we’ll be gathered home.

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