The Weekend Is Over

We had a really rainy day on Friday and it had everyone nervous about the outdoor wedding scheduled for Saturday evening. All was well by wedding time, however. A crowd of some 400 gathered on the lawn of the home of the mayor of Bay Minette to witness the ceremony. It was a truly beautiful setting and I had the opportunity to give a clear gospel presentation during the service that was well received. The only mishap during the service was that the men forgot to come back to retrieve the mothers after the wedding party had exited. If that’s the only problem, well, things will go fine for the couple!!

I taught twice this morning at Forest Park Bible Church. Sunday School was a great time going over Eph. 3:18 and I taught the first half of Eph. 6:10 in the morning service. My brother, Travis, was there as well as two cousins I haven't seen in over 30 years!

We did have a very unusual time during the second session. A dear 82-year-old saint, Norma Gauss, began to sing “How Great Thou Art.” She only got about three lines into it when she looked toward heaven, became visibly overwhelmed and collapsed behind the pulpit. From where I was seated I could see that her eyes had dilated and that rather than fainting she had gone into an immediate coma. The EMTs were called and straightway took her to the emergency room. While we had prayer and waited anxiously for them, several gave testimonies to Mrs. Gauss’ great faith and encouraging spirit. We sang “How Great Thou Art” in her honor and then I taught the study I had planned to bring since it fit perfectly with the events of the morning.

Later we learned she had had a brain aneurysm and is not expected to live out the night. A large group of saints were allowed to visit her room and prayer and speak encouragement to her, though she remains unconscious. She has no other family but the church family.

Along with her husband, Mrs. Gauss had been a missionary to the Navajo Indians in New Mexico for many years. After his home going she relocated to Mobile five or six years ago. Mrs. Lange met her and influenced her to come to Forest Park where she came to rejoice in the message of grace. In fact, she had talked to Cynthia during the Sunday School time about how grateful she was to have found Forest Park and learned to rightly divide the Scriptures. She was taking no medicine and had enjoyed good health all these years. Now she awaits her entrance into the presence of the Lord. No one could actually be sad about that. We simply rejoiced in our hope in Christ Jesus and that a dear saint would soon be absent from the body and present with the Lord.

I spoke again at FP this evening to a good and enthusiastic crowd. William Lange, Brother Roy’s son, is doing a good job of leading the work during Roy’s illness. I fear he’ll not be able to preaching again—so does he! But the work seems to be in good hands.

Cynthia and I are back “down the bay” packing (at least, she is) for our return to Chicago tomorrow. We had one last seafood lunch (with the Lange’s) and I have some cold fried shrimp in the frig to finish off. Thought we’d get to eat at a favorite seafood café for lunch tomorrow on the way to the airport but looks like that will be preempted by a couple of errands. That will make tomorrow the only day we haven’t have seafood since we arrived! No better way to get back into the Chicago-mode than that!

It has been a wonderful week of refreshing for us. We needed it; and we needed it together. I am really tired this evening, so obviously my “fatigue-factor” is still with me, but I am very grateful for the time Cynthia has had to unwind and enjoy some quality “down time” this week. She has even spent some of it with me!!

We do look forward to getting back home and back to the long list of things that must be accomplished before we leave for the Ohio conference next weekend. Looks like our grand daughters will be going with us, so the treats just keep on coming!

Thanks to so many who pray for us. I don’t say it often enough but I do count on your faithfulness to be “helping together by prayer for us.”

Maranatha!