8.20-Looking for a better country.

8.20

I was with my extended family for the last few days. It was a visitation and memorial for my oldest cousin’s wife, Patsy Milton, who passed on Monday. She had lived an amazing Christian life as was well known by all who knew her. She had been through some rough times lately. Since her life was beautiful, her memorial service was beautiful. Cards. Flowers. Amazing memories. There must have been a couple of hundred people at her visitation and memorial. Very encouraging. The remarks from her son, Robert and grandson, Justin were most uplifting.

According to my count, on both sides of my family from my dad and my mom I have a group of 27 who are in my “first cousin group”. Ten have moved on from this life to be with the Lord. Most of the remaining 17 are Christians. Many of their children and grandchildren are also Christians. H. L. Milton, my oldest first cousin married Pasty Yarbrough in 1956 and she became my cousin by marriage but much more. She became an example of how to live a gentle, kind peacemaker life. Many of these cousins and other friends and family gathered on Wednesday evening and Thursday afternoon to celebrate Patsy’s amazing life.

I have reflected on her life today and also the life of my large family. Many people from the community were there from the life of the Milton’s in the educational community in Fannin County for many years. Since 1956 Patsy’s children and grandchildren have been involved in public education in addition to farming and other jobs. The love and support in these two days has been very encouraging to all of the family.

I have really reflected today on these cousins of mine. They have been through a lot in life and are still moving forward in their lives capable of encouraging people. My family members have had the mercy and compassion to make large sacrifices for the benefit of each other.
Vocationally, they are farmers, teachers, ministers, engineers, carpenters, mechanics and lawyers.
Marriage was fairly early for some, but later for others. Some are single. Blended families. Small families and large ones.

They have made a home for themselves in the communities where they live and yet as long as they are here they are not home yet. Patsy Milton made it home on Monday. The rest of us there at her visitation and memorial are still on our journey.

They spent time in other countries, but kept their love for this one. As Christians we look forward to a better country that is still coming in heaven.

I have cousins who have built houses for themselves as a demonstration of their creativity and industry, but their ultimate house is not here.
They have been tested. Some have lost their children and grandchildren. They have seen the destruction of violence and tragic deaths. Old age and the cross of physical health problems that put them flat on their back for long periods of time have come to most of them.
Those who follow Jesus have chosen a life that includes striving to overcome the selfish life of the passing pleasures of sin, yet falling down and needing God’s amazing grace every day. I asked one of my cousins how he was doing and he said, “Better than I deserve.” We have been blessed by God’s grace, mercy and peace.

Their ultimate leader is not a political party or a President, but King Jesus.
They have gone through times of unemployment when finances were stretched to the limit. The farm debts have almost overwhelmed some of them. Times when there was more month than money.
As followers of Jesus they have surrounded the table of the Lord around the world, but together periodically at the Oak Ridge Church of Christ since 1879.

They have tried to protect the reputation of people by helping them not to be disgraced publicly more than necessary. When people’s best dreams fail you can add disgrace by walking away from them or you can help them by getting them get up and walking with them.
I mentioned in the service that Patsy and Harvey Lynn Milton were good had helping us after some failure when we needed to get back up on the horse of life and get busy. They worked to help the family in hard times to not get bitter but better. When hard times came to people in the family they did not run away, they ran to.

I love my cousins in the Wishard and Woods family.
I loved Patsy Milton and know that many of you did as well.
Thanks for coming.

Larry Wishard
8.16.19

Hebrews 11.

11 Now faith is the ^[a]assurance of things ^[b]hoped for, the ^[c]conviction of things not seen. ² For by it the men of old ^[d]gained approval.

³ By faith we understand that the ^[e]worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible. ⁴ By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained the testimony that he was righteous, God testifying ^[f]about his gifts, and through ^[g]faith, though he is dead, he still speaks. ⁵ By faith Enoch was taken up so that he would not see death; and he was not found because God took him up; for he obtained the witness that before his being taken up he was pleasing to God. ⁶ And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him. ⁷ By faith Noah, being warned by God about things not yet seen, ^[h]in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world, and became an heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.
⁸ By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed ^[i]by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going. ⁹ By faith he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise; ¹⁰ for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God. ¹¹ By faith even Sarah herself received ^[j]ability to conceive, even beyond the proper time of life, since she considered Him faithful who had promised. ¹² Therefore there was born even of one man, and him as good as dead ^[k]at that, as many descendants as the stars of heaven in number, and innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore.
¹³ All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. ¹⁴ For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own. ¹⁵ And indeed if they had been ^[l]thinking of that country from which they went out, they would have had opportunity to return. ¹⁶ But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ^[m]ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them.
¹⁷ By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was offering up his only begotten son; ¹⁸ it was he to whom it was said, “In Isaac your ^[n]descendants shall be called.” ^19 [o]He considered that God is able to raise people even from the dead, from which he also received him back ^[p]as a type. ²⁰ By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau, even regarding things to come. ²¹ By faith Jacob, as he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff. ²² By faith Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the exodus of the sons of Israel, and gave orders concerning his bones.
²³ By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king’s edict. ²⁴ By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, ²⁵ choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, ²⁶ considering the reproach of ^[q]Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward. ²⁷ By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured, as seeing Him who is unseen. ²⁸ By faith he ^[r]kept the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood, so that he who destroyed the firstborn would not touch them. ²⁹ By faith they passed through the Red Sea as though they were passing through dry land; and the Egyptians, when they attempted it, were ^[s]drowned.
³⁰ By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days. ³¹ By faith Rahab the harlot did not perish along with those who were disobedient, after she had welcomed the spies ^[t]in peace.
³² And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets, ³³ who by faith conquered kingdoms, performed acts of righteousness, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, ³⁴ quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. ³⁵ Women received back their dead by resurrection; and others were tortured, not accepting their ^[u]release, so that they might obtain a better resurrection; ³⁶ and others ^[v]experienced mockings and scourgings, yes, also chains and imprisonment. ³⁷ They were stoned, they were sawn in two, ^[w]they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated ³⁸ (men of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains and caves and holes ^[x]in the ground.
³⁹ And all these, having ^[y]gained approval through their faith, did not receive ^[z]what was promised, ⁴⁰ because God had ^[aa]provided something better for us, so that apart from us they would not be made perfect.