TODAY I RECEIVED NEWS CONCERNING THE PASSING OF A DEAR FRIEND. At approximately 9:25 A.M. on Wednesday, July 29, I checked my email and discovered that the Rev. Mel DePeal had departed this world for a far superior one. He had served his Lord faithfully and was at last in the presence of his King. I can only imagine how thrilled he is to be home at last.

A song came immediately to my mind that was recorded by the Talley Trio, called, Life Goes On. The lyrics are as follows:

"When the world as you know it has ended
And the darkness won’t give way to dawn
In your hour of grief it’s so hard to believe life goes on
When you pray for a way to endure it. but a part of your heart is gone
Though you can’t see it now, still you know somehow life goes on

Life goes on, there is never an end, what was dead lives again
Jesus pro0mised that life goes on
For the ones who believe will live eternally
So don’t feat the great unknown, remember that life goes on

So say to the doubt that would keep you in a place you have never belonged
I have nothing to dread for my Father has said life goes on
And one day when death comes to call you, say farewell to this world you’ve known
As you leave earth behind you will wake up to find life goes on

Life goes on, there is never an end, what was dead lives again
Jesus pro0mised that life goes on
For the ones who believe will live eternally
So don’t feat the great unknown, remember that life goes on

Our troubles will end, all our trials will pass
And our tears will all be dried
When the struggle is over all sorrow will cease and death itself will die

Life goes on, there is never an end, what was dead lives again
Jesus pro0mised that life goes on
For the ones who believe will live eternally
So don’t feat the great unknown, remember that life goes on."

I must confess that my reaction to the news caught me off guard, emotionally speaking. I found myself shedding tears. I had just lost a mentor, a colleague, and a dear friend. There were also tears of joy because Pastor Mel was able to breathe again—breathe the fresh air of heaven and perhaps even run down those golden streets.

Not long ago, I visited him in the hospital and sensed immediately that he was a bit downcast about his physical condition. I was waiting for an opening so I could cheer him up a little. In speaking of Pastor Danny’s resignation, he told me what a good thing it was that I was where I was. He said, “Bruce, you have been a great help to Danny.” And I replied, “I have tried my best to support him and be of assistance in any way I could. After all, you set such a good example. Retired ministers can sometimes be a pain if they want the current pastor to do things they way they did them. But you were never like that, Pastor Mel. You were a gentleman and a great support to me and I wanted to follow your example.” He seemed to perk up a bit and I left the hospital feeling as though the Lord had helped me to lift his spirit, even if only for a moment.

Shortly before the DePeals moved back to Kalamazoo after retirement (it had to be over 30 years ago), I received a letter from Pastor Mel about their intention to relocate here and he wanted to know if he had my permission to worship with us. That says something about his character, doesn’t it?

It took some time before I bring myself to call him “Mel.” My parents had taught me well—to respect my elders. If respect is something one earns, Pastor Mel had been awarded that honor a long time ago.

It wasn’t long after he had been here before he became an assistant pastor at KWC, doing family and crisis counseling. What a joy it was to work with him! There were many times that I would seek his advice and counsel when I was faced a difficult issue or decision. I used his vast experience as a sounding board and before I left he would pray for me and I felt as though I was somehow translated for a few moments into the heavenlies. I tell you friend, Pastor Mel knew how to get a hold of God!

Jeanine and I have lots of precious memories with Pastor and Mrs. DePeal. I’ll never forget the evening service when he play the guitar and sang, the “Ezekiel Song.”

We used to play table games with them when they lived in the mobile home and enjoyed many fine dinners and of course it was always topped off with some of Marie’s home-made pie, which I still carry with me till this day.

One time the four of us went to Sea World down in Ohio. Lots of time to fellowship and laugh together and let our pastoral hair down a bit.

What a privilege it was to know Pastor Mel. We’ll all miss him greatly. There’s a hole in our heart, but God will fill it as only He can, partly with memories of his good life.

Robert Selle penned these words that I close with

Oh! Think to step ashore,
And find it Heaven;

To clasp a hand outstretched,
And find it God’s hand!

To breath new air,
And that celestial air,

To feel refreshed,
And find it immortality;

Ah, think to step from storm and stress,
To one unbroken calm:

To awake and find it Home.

(Robert E. Selle “Stepping Ashore”)

I WAS SITITING IN AN EYE SURGEON’S WAITING ROOM RECENTLY when I met a very special lady. She had an infant with her that obviously had some serious vision problems. He couldn’t have been more than a few weeks old---a preemie, I think. In any event, I struck up a conversation with her and learned that she was a nurse and that she took into her home, babies that were born premature with special health issues---babies that were without the loving care of parents---babies that would have ended up in some government institution.

You could tell that she really cared for those in her charge by the way she held this little boy. She explained that she had nine infants in her home initially, but three died and that left her with six. Her daughter and daughter-in-law are also nurses and assist her. I was blown away with her obvious concern and compassion for those who needed that kind of love. And I thought to myself, Here’s a person who goes beyond the call of duty because she is compelled by love. It gives you hope that there still are those individuals out there who demonstrate love in a very practical manner. It is more than a slogan; it is a way of life.

I just love stories about folks that reach out to those with special needs---stories of hope and compassion, like the following: On a cruise from Mexico to Hawaii in 1979, Los Angles lawyer John Peckham and his wife, Dottie, put a note in a bottle and tossed it into the Pacific. Three years and 9,000 miles later, Vietnamese refugee Nguyen Hoa leaned down from a tiny, crowded boat and plucked the bottle from the South China Sea---amazed to find a name and address, a dollar for postage and the promise of a reward. “It gave me hope,” said Hoa, who had escaped from a prison camp in Vietnam.

Safe in a UN refugee camp in Thailand, Hoa wrote the surprised Peckhams. For two years they corresponded; Hoa married and had a son. Not long after that, the Peckhams agreed to sponsor the emigration of Hoa and his family. As you can well imagine, when they arrived it was an emotional meeting with the Peckhams---and a new life from an old bottle.

What a beautiful illustration of what the apostle Paul urged upon us in Colossians 3:12: Put on therefore, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, a heart of compassion…”
May we strive to live in this manner, believing what Jesus taught us in the Beatitudes: “Blessed are the merciful, for they will obtain mercy.”

IF I SEE ONE MORE MICHAEL JACKSON STORY ON TV, I may just have to cancel my cable. I mean you can’t turn on the news without being inundated with coverage of this sad, and yes, even pathetic pop-culture icon. But do you know what is particularly irksome? It is the GREED that is on display. Family, so-called friends, and supposed supporters are swimming around his casket like a school of sharks. They’re moving in for the kill, not realizing that he is already gone.

One example: The biological mother of two of Jackson’s children is reported to be seeking four million dollars from the Jackson estate in return for the custody rights of the children. She already received about eight million when she was divorced from Jackson a few years ago. How much is enough? It makes me ill when I read these reports, especially when I consider our present economic situation and the number of folks who are struggling to pay their mortgage.

I am reminded of a story I read about an exclusive school in Hollywood attended by children of movie stars. Asked to write an essay on the subject of poverty, one little girl started her literary piece this way: “Once there was a poor little girl. Her father was poor, her mother was poor, her governess was poor, her chauffeur was poor, and her butler was poor. In fact, everybody in the house was very, very poor.”

I believe we’re sending out the wrong message to our children. They need to understand that the god of greed will turn on them. If they worship at his feet, he will exact the last penny and leave them with nothing but broken promises. Greed is the logical result of the belief that there is no life after death. We grab what we can while we can however we can and then hold on to it hard.

Leo Tolstoy once wrote a story about a successful peasant farmer who was not satisfied with his lot. He wanted more of everything. One day he received a novel offer. For 1000 rubles, he could buy all the land he could walk around in a day. The only catch in the deal was that he had to be back at his starting point by sundown. Early the next morning he started out walking at a fast pace. By midday he was very tired, but he kept going, covering more and more ground. Well into the afternoon he realized that his greed had taken him far from the starting point. He quickened his pace and as the sun began to sink low in the sky, he began to run, knowing that if he did not make it back by sundown the opportunity to become an even bigger landholder would be lost. As the sun began to sink below the horizon he came within sight of the finish line. Gasping for breath, his heart pounding, he called upon every bit of strength left in his body and staggered across the line just before the sun disappeared. He immediately collapsed, blood streaming from his mouth. In a few minutes he was dead. Afterwards, his servants dug a grave. It was not much over six feet long and three feet wide. The title of Tolstoy's story was: How Much Land Does a Man Need?

JUST VISITED WITH MY NEIGHBOR YESTERDAY. It was an inspiring talk over the fence, so to speak. She is in her 80’s, a widow, having lost her husband last winter. Mrs._________ just returned from a trip to the Netherlands where she immigrated from back in the 50’s. Even though she is understandably lonely, and not feeling well, plus finds it quite difficult to walk, she is remarkable in her attitude---very positive, witty, and full of concern for others.

As we parted company she remarked how she was going to spend July 4th: “I think I will go on over to the nursing home and visit a friend this afternoon.” I took about four steps before it dawned on me what she had just said. Wow! What a caring lady. In that moment she evicted any sense of self-pity, despite her condition.

I’ve read countless books and articles that addressed the subject of dealing with discouragement. Most of these writers point out the need to re-focus—to look out beyond one’s own problem in an effort to concentrate on helping someone else that is experiencing a trial of some sort. You see, not only are others helped and encouraged, but the giver experiences a therapeutic boost as well.

That’s exactly what took place in the Macedonian churches as recorded in II Corinthians 8. Paul commended those believers for their generosity. He said that they gave out of “severe trial and extreme poverty” to the impoverished believers in Jerusalem. And what’s more, the Macedonians were overjoyed as they gave. They saw a need and met it. They forgot about their own condition and concentrated on those whose plight was similar to theirs.

I know it’s hard to imagine because we are such a “me-centered” culture. But the truth is that when we lose ourselves in service to others, we find contentment and purpose undreamed of. So the next time you begin to feel sorry for yourself, remember this remarkable lady and focus on the needs of others. It will put a smile on your face and a spring in your step.