My Precious Keepsake

There were signs everywhere for us to find on the week leading up to the funeral, little thing my father left to give us comfort. Scriptures marked in his bible, taped sermons, and treasures thought lost to name a few. There was only one thing for me that I wanted, my fathers small Minister's Manual. It was something that he held in his hand during many events.

I was sad when my mother said that he had lost his older one and she had bought him a new one. I had forgotten about my search until I needed to go into his office. There sitting on his desk as if waiting for me was my treasure. A small book so worn from uses the pages were taped together. Still marked with the last names of the couple he last married, Derek and Bunaja. Although many names have been written here and erased these will stay forever as a loving reminder of the marriages he blessed.

I keep a simple dried daisy from his flower as my marker, a simple flower for a simple man. I found a few scriptures marked in the Funeral section of the book an this one stood out to me:

John 5:24-29 (New International Version, ©2010)

   ²⁴ “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life. ²⁵ Very truly I tell you, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. ²⁶ For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. ²⁷ And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man.
   ²⁸ “Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice ²⁹ and come out—those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned.