One of the great honors bestowed upon pastors is to conduct the funeral of one who is loved and revered within the church. I have such an honor today. My friend David Gray passed from this earth to his new home last week and today we celebrate.

We celebrate with laughter (Dave was quite the cut up from time to time) and we celebrate with tears. Dave was taken from us too soon. He will be missed.

When you know someone for almost 20 years as I have known my friend, you see the good, the bad and the ugly. But when someone is your friend, you only remember the good. The good outweighed the bad and ugly.

Dave was a faithful man. Once he committed to do something, you could consider it done.

Dave was a servant. He was always the first to volunteer if someone needed help. Many benefited from his strength when they moved or from help with a car repair or from a stack of boxes that he was able to procure from his own workplace. (I conjecture the stack of boxes was paid for out of his own pocket more often than not.)

The one thing I will always remember Dave for was the love and care he gave his wife Dixie when she was unable to do so for herself. Dixie passed away 20 months ago. She had suffered from Parkinson’s disease and needed constant care. The tears in Dave’s eyes over her loss weren’t even dry when he became ill himself.

I saw Dave provide this care for her with a smile on his face. His love didn’t come through just in times of health or when times were good but in not so good times and in times of sickness.

It will be an honor to lead this time of celebration for my friend’s life. I know a great reunion took place in heaven. Dave made a beeline for Jesus, maybe to Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego (the three he sang about so often and so loudly) but then he found Dixie. I think they’re dancin’ and probably will do so for a few thousand years.

Goodbye my friend! See you in the morning!

Always In Pursuit!