Goodbye, Dale!

 This morning was the burial for a friend from our church, Dale O'Maley. He was 65 years old, and had worked some for Jonathan, and Jonathan worked some for him. We really hadn't realized how much we loved and respected him till he ended up in the hospital and came down to his last days rather suddenly.It seemed inappropriate to take many pictures in such a sacred assembly, but I managed a few in his memory. Dozens of vehicles lined the roadways around the cemetery. Men came in blue work shirts from work places, besides the suited ministers, friends and relatives. Here was a man respected by many.

 This picture above backtracks to Sunday where Jonathan got a quick picture of the church sanctuary at Living Hope Church in town where the funeral service was held.  This was a little bit before service started and a lot more people filled in, probably around 200 to 250 Jonathan estimated. The Hazelwoods from Oklahoma spoke and sang, and our dear former fill-in pastor, Dennis Goodwin gave the funeral message about the many things for which we could give thanks about this occasion, and the considerations we need to make about being prepared ourselves.

We were thrilled that one of Jonathan's youngest work crew guys wanted to come to the funeral. Perhaps it was the first time he heard about getting ready for heaven. 

The Lord also helped our family as we sang, "I'll Walk With God," the song that had meant so much to Dale. We were told that little Hannah did not miss a word!

 Jonathan's work truck and trailer pulled in near the cemetery to find a parking space.

Above, Dale's stooped father of over ninety-years old, with the help of Dale's son Nate, is laying a rose on the casket. I just couldn't bring myself to take a picture of Dale's wife and daughter laying their roses. Maybe I should have done it to share with them, but somehow, you hate to just photograph someone's last goodbye unless you knew they wouldn't mind.

 Dale's son Aaron, who often does work for or with Jonathan, lays his rose. His father's death hit him really hard. Please pray for Aaron.

 It was a precious scene, one after another of family and close friends, laying roses. Then the casket was lowered, and our little ones wanted to go see, so we followed others who had gone to take a last loving look at the beautiful box that carried a body that carried a beautiful soul--covered with flowers and roses down in the earth.

  Jonathan's mom and I discussed about burial plots and cremations a bit, and  I expressed my feelings that I liked burials and having a gravestone as a memorial.  I thought how it is somewhere a loved one can come at times to remember and pray.

 That is what we did after the burial as others drove away. It was such a beautiful sunny day, and the children and I walked through the cemetery finding gravestones of people we'd known. Above is the gravestone of a dear saint from our church, Sis. Fayetta Karr, and her husband.

 This gravestone above was very special, as it is of the mother of our church organist, Katherine Gafford, who is a dear friend. What I loved about it was the verse carved on, "Underneath are the everlasting arms."

I thought how you can go through a cemetery and sense all the love that went into the gravestones, and read the verses and little poems and just ponder what is really important about life and death.

And here is the gravestone of the first wife of Bro. McVey who attends our church. 

Probably no one but Anna Lucas posts pictures of gravestones, 

but on this sunny day, with a robin hopping between gravestones, 

and little Hannah asking what the gravestones said,

I just found it comforting to wander in the green grass and sunshine and quiet,

reading the loving sentiments.

It is comforting to go through a graveyard and think that there is love in the world,

and that at death, people try to think the best 

instead of the worst.