She Heard Him Singing "When They Ring The Golden Bells for You and Me"

Yesterday I called my daughter Crystal while she was driving home from attending the funeral of our friend and former pastor, Dennis Goodwin. I figured while she was traveling she could fill me in on the happenings at a funeral that Jonathan and I and others in our family would have loved to attend had circumstances been different. Since we were stuck here in South Dakota with my first chemo treatments, I was happy that Crystal decided to go. While Crystal was teaching in Missouri, she had sometimes taken a dish of food or gone to help Mrs. Goodwin with cleaning or care for her husband, and she really wanted to attend the funeral and represent our family.

Pastor Goodwin had filled in at our church in Colorado for about a year and a half, and how our family came to love the Goodwins!  Linda Lee Goodwin taught the youth class and became close to our girls, remaining in touch with them by email and phone for years later.

Two things stood out to us about Bro. Goodwin--his delightful sense of humor and his rich bass voice. We never did get tired of hearing him sing.

So while I was going through about 6 hours of chemo infusions Thursday, Crystal was traveling, and my niece Susanna at the florist shop where she works was arranging a beautiful bouquet to be from our family in memory of Bro. Goodwin.  

And then yesterday Crystal filled me in on everything she could remember from the funeral, including how the two sons led the service with laughter and tears, having seemed to have inherited the same gift of humor that their dad had. 

But one special thing really stood out. At the very end of the service, a lady named Christy got up who had been a friend of the Goodwins for a long time. (She had actually been a classmate of my sister Joella and her husband Craig at Penn View Bible Institute.) She used to play the piano at the camp meeting where Bro. Goodwin used to be president, and she said how she and he shared the same birthday. On their birthdays, one or the other would call each other and say, "Happy birthday, birthday twin!"

Well, on the day Brother Goodwin died, Christy had no idea about it, and was going about her work in her kitchen when all of a sudden, she said she heard Bro. Goodwin's voice singing "Precious Lord, Take My Hand."

Startled, Christy thought, "I wonder what is up." So she texted Sis. Goodwin, to find out that Bro. Goodwin was worse than he had been in his battle with pneumonia. 

Christy went on with her day, but later in the evening, she suddenly heard Bro. Goodwin's voice again. 

This time he was singing, "When They Ring The Golden Bells for You and Me."

Only minutes later, Christy received the news that Bro. Goodwin had entered the gates of heaven--where surely the bells were ringing for the one who, through so  many years of suffering after his stroke, had faithfully trusted His Savior.

I was getting goosebumps as I listened.

While those close to Bro. Goodwin's bedside that evening were only observing unresponsiveness and the last breath of life, someone a distance away heard his voice singing.

As Christy told what God had allowed her to hear, Crystal said she didn't think there was a dry eye in the room!

Sometimes a person has to step back to hear what is really happening--the beautiful singing, the bells ringing, the joy, the triumph, the glory!  

We sometimes only hear the silences, the minor chords, the cacophony of suffering, trials, and death. 

But if we could just hear the beautiful music that God has prepared for those who love Him,

and in which each one can participate!

If we could only hear those golden bells ringing for you and me!