IN LOVING MEMORY AND TRIBUTE
JOHN AND GLADYS LOGSDON
Written in loving memory of my Daddy and Momma who faithfully taught me to have living hope in Jesus.
Bonita Ann (Logsdon) Richie
"O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?"
1 Corinthians 15:55
"And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away."
Revelation 21:4
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Springtime has arrived again. With it comes signs of new life. Flowers are beginning to grow as birds return with songs of praise to The LORD Jesus. Life that has been silent and dormant during the sting of winter's cold is now alive. Beauty is all around. The celebration of The LORD Jesus' Resurrection Day is here again. What a beautiful and glorious time of year this is!!! Oh, how my Momma loved Spring!!!
My mind goes back to the Spring of 2006 when The LORD Jesus took my Daddy and Momma home to eternally be with Him. He took them both home with Him in less than two months of each other's passing onto Glory. My Daddy was 96 years old when The LORD Jesus took him home on March 31st, 2006. My Momma was 80 years old when The LORD Jesus took her home on May 25th, 2006. They had been married for over 54 years. Their love for one another and for their family was only exceeded by their enduring and passionate love for The LORD Jesus Christ. They were both true Children of The Almighty God and LORD Jesus Christ. They were both faithful Servants of The Most High God and LORD Jesus Christ. They were both strong Christians who loved The LORD Jesus more than they loved anything or anyone here upon this earth. They taught me about Jesus. As a result, their part in "Living Hope In Jesus" resounds across the world as Jesus reaches out to teach the unsaved about Himself and as He reaches out to bring the back-slidden back into His fold. Dad and Mom had a great love for people. They had a great love for children. Their desire for children to have Bibles and Bible teaching was one that burned deeply in their hearts. Both were called by God as teachers of His Word and their labor of love to and for The LORD Jesus was glorious. Their rewards are so very great and many in Heaven. Thank You ALONE, LORD Jesus!!!
While I know that their flesh bodies were planted in the cold ground of the grave, I also know that there is coming a day when the trump of God shall sound and their bodies will be raised to life as spiritual bodies to meet The LORD Jesus in the air and they shall forever be with The LORD. Til that time, I know they are with The LORD God Almighty Jesus Christ enjoying Heaven's splendor and beauty. It is but their bodies that lie in the grave. They are not there. There is no one at their graves to visit. While their bodies are slowly returning to the dust from which God made them, my Dad and Mom are alive in Heaven with The Almighty God and Savior and LORD Jesus Christ that they loved with all of their hearts. This is the comfort The Holy Ghost gives to all Christians that have Christian family and Christian friends and Christian loved ones that pass on into eternity in Jesus. The "good night" we are forced to say to them here on earth when death arrives will be replaced with "good morning" when we see our loved ones over there some day. Til then, will we miss them? Oh yes. I miss my Daddy and Momma greatly. Surely there is not a day that passes that I do not think about Dad and Mom. I think of the many joy-filled years with them. I remember funny things that made us all laugh together. I remember times in life when I failed them and disappointed them while also remembering their unconditional love for me. Do I miss my Daddy and Momma? Oh, yes, Beloved. Oh, yes. The precious, loving, tender, faithful, and comforting Holy Spirit has used my husband Stephen and God's inerrant and infallible Word mightily in comforting me during my times of sorrow of missing Dad and Mom insomuch that I don't miss them as one that has no hope of ever seeing them again. The Holy Spirit has explained to me that God, so unselfishly, had waited patiently throughout the many years for the very moment in 2006 that He would receive them into His presence to enjoy them face-to-face. Face-to-face they now behold The LORD God Almighty Jesus Christ, their Father and Savior. Face-to-face does Father behold them. They are all now eternally together to laugh together and love together in endless joy and splendor. Even in knowing this truth, do I still miss them? Oh, yes. Oh, yes. Oh, yes. Oh, how I loved them and oh, how they loved me so very, very, very much.......yet I know there will come a day when we will hug, kiss, laugh, and play again together. I, too, will get to be face-to-face with my Father and LORD and Savior and shall rejoice with Him and with my Daddy and Momma eternally. And it is ALL because of JESUS! Let me share with you the words to a song that mean so very much to me.
I'LL HAVE A HEART THAT WILL NEVER BREAK AGAIN
I'll have a heart that will never break again.
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I remember standing at my Daddy's bedside,
And the tears filled up the wrinkles on his face;
As I held his withered hand he smiled and whispered,
Son, I'm going to live in a better place.
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Chorus:
And I'll have eyes that will never fill with teardrops,
I'll have legs that will never ache with pain,
I'll have hands that will never age and wither,
And a heart that will never break again.
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I have often heard and read about a city,
Where with Jesus, we shall live for evermore;
And a mansion's in construction for my dwelling,
And the streets of gold will run by my front door.
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Chorus:
And I'll have eyes that will never fill with teardrops
I'll have legs that will never ache with pain
I'll have hands that will never age and wither,
And a heart that will never break again.
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I'll have hands that will never age and wither
And a heart that will never break again.
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Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning. Psalm 30:5b ALL of this is possible ONLY because of THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. Had He not come to earth and lived, died, and rose again for us as God's sacrificial Lamb, NONE of us would have hope of sharing even one moment with God in eternity. It is ONLY because of HIM that we are offered a way to God. It is ONLY because of HIM that we are offered everlasting mercy, grace, forgiveness, and eternal salvation through believing in Jesus, repenting of our sins, being eternally saved and baptized. He gives His children mercy that lasts throughout all of eternity. Beloved, always remember that justice gives that which is deserved......but MERCY gives that which is NOT deserved. Jesus' endless mercy places a song in one's heart that no person or devil can ever steal. Jesus' joys are endless.
While the days of singing the old gospel songs with Dad and Mom around the piano at home during the years past are now gone for the present, endless days of singing together will resume in Heaven one day. It will be as though no time has passed between our last songs together. As in the old song "Daddy Sang Bass", my Daddy did sing bass and Momma sang tenor. My sisters and I "would join right in there". If the circle is not broken, we shall one day all sing together once more "in the sky, LORD, in the sky" with our parents and with all of our family members that have been eternally saved by The LORD Jesus. Oh, what a glorious, glorious, glorious and joyful reunion day that will be!!!
I can remember a time in my youth when my Momma sang a song with me in Church as I played the piano and sang with her. The name of the old gospel song was "I'll Meet You In The Morning". I sang lead while she sang harmony on the song. It was one of many songs that I sang to her as she lie on her hospital bed in a coma awaiting The LORD Jesus to take her home with Him in May 2006. There is indeed coming a day when I shall meet both Dad and Mom in the morning. What joy and delight that will be!!! I shall surely shout "Good morning, Dad and Mom!!!" so loudly that Heaven will ring with the sound of my joy!!!
As I watch Spring blossom and anticipate the day when all things shall be made new when Jesus returns for His children, I wish to encourage all who grieve over the loss of Christian family and Christian loved ones to continue to live and walk in the days that The LORD Jesus has given to us to walk in with Him and rest assured that morning is coming when He gets all of His children home. There will be no tears there. There will be no sorrow there. God Himself is going to wipe all tears away from our faces by His precious hand.....just as He has promised us in His Word. Memories of all of life's disappointments, sicknesses, hurts, abuses, neglect, torments, circumstances of death, etc., etc., etc., will be eternally forgotten.....NEVER to be remembered again. Walk in this, Beloved Child of God, for endless joy IS truly coming in the morning!!! There truly IS living hope in Jesus!!! Praise be to God forevermore!!!
I WILL MEET YOU IN THE MORNING
I will meet you in the morning on the bright riverside,
When all sorrows have drifted away.
I'll be standing at the portal when the gates open wide
At the close of life's long, dreary day.
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Chorus:
I'll meet you in the morning with a "How do you do?
And we'll sit down by the river, and with rapture old acquaintance renew.
You'll know me in the morning by the smiles that I wear.
When I meet you in the morning in that city that is built foursquare.
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I will meet you in the morning in the sweet by and by,
And exchange the old cross for a crown.
There will be no disappointments and no body shall die
In that land where life's sun goeth down.
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Chorus:
I'll meet you in the morning with a "How do you do?
And we'll sit down by the river, and with rapture old acquaintance renew.
You'll know me in the morning by the smiles that I wear.
When I meet you in the morning in that city that is built foursquare.
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I will meet you in the morning at the end of the way
On the streets of that city of gold,
Where we all can be together and be happy for aye
As the years of eternity roll.
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Chorus:
I'll meet you in the morning with a "How do you do?
And we'll sit down by the river, and with rapture old acquaintance renew.
You'll know me in the morning by the smiles that I wear.
When I meet you in the morning in that city that is built foursquare.
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So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
1 Corinthians 15:54
But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 15:57
And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
Revelation 21:4
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THANK YOU ALONE, LORD JESUS!!!
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Written in loving memory and tribute to my Dad and Mom with all love and thankfulness to my LORD and my Savior Jesus Christ.
I love you, LORD. Thank You for loving me.
When my life here is over, may those left behind ever be able to exclaim "She loved The LORD".
I love you, Jesus.
