What I Know For Sure Series

In 1873, Horatio Spafford, a successful attorney had lost a fortune in the great Chicago fire of 1871. Around the same time, his four-year-old son died of scarlet fever. Thinking a vacation would do his family some good, he sent his wife and four daughters on a ship to England, planning to join them later. However, while crossing the Atlantic Ocean, the ship they were on was involved in a terrible collision and sank. Among those who0 perished were all four of Horatio’s daughters. His wife, Anna, sent a telegram to her husband that began: “Saved alone. What shall I do?”

On his journey to meet his wife, the captain of the ship he was on, explained to Horatio that they were now passing over the spot where the shipwreck that had claimed the lives of his daughters had occurred.1

As Horatio thought about his daughters, words of comfort filled his heart, and he wrote the words of this song.

1. When peace like a river attendeth my way, When sorrows like sea billows roll, Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say, It is well, it is well with my soul

2. Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come, Let this blest assurance control, That Christ has regarded my helpless estate, And has shed His own blood for my soul.

3. My sin, oh the bliss of this glorious thought, My sin, not in part, but the whole, Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more, Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul

4. And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight, The clouds be rolled back as a scroll, The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend, Even so, it is well with my soul.

Chorus: It is well (it is well), With my soul (with my soul), It is well, it is well with my soul.

Eulogy – Pastor Michael L. Brown:

We are gathered here to honor the life of ____________________________. This is a time when we try to make sense of it all and yet there is so much, we don’t know. But, Like Horatio, we can find strength and comfort in our faith in God, as we look to Him for the things we don’t know.

While we have come to celebrate the life of ______________________, some of you may be faced with a crossroads. Decisions that we could make right at this moment will determine whether we can move forward or if this is a place, where we will get stuck.

We have thoughts of what we would do now for ___________________________ if we could. Things we wished we had done or said to her while she was here, but, the time for that has passed.

Because we believe scripture, we understand that ______________________________, from the moment she took her last breath here on earth, took her first breath in Heaven. Scripture tells us in 2 Corinthians 5:10; that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. So as much as we grieve her loss, Aubrey is now experiencing the wonderful presence of the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.

So, at this time I would ask you to consider 2 things:

1st, Consider those who remain. The family and friends who are gathered here, right now. What would you do for them if you knew this was the last time you would ever see them again? When we consider the frailty of life, we know that tomorrow is not promised to any of us. How much time do we often waste arguing with those we love and then later regretting it because those might be the last words, we exchange with one another?

Casting Crowns, a popular Christian singing Group wrote a song titled, “No Scars in Heaven” The song starts out saying; If I had only known the last time would be the last time. I would have put off all the things I had to do. I would have stayed a little longer, held on a little tighter. Now what I’d give for one more day with you. What would you change about the way you talk to someone that you really love, but all too often, take for granted? What can we do in this moment to become closer as a family? When I hear the stories of Aubrey, it’s plain to see that she loved every one of her family members. I know it honors her memory when we show that love to each other.

2ndly, What will you do next? Grieving is a natural process that we all need to go through when we lose someone we love, however, how we go on from here, is of extreme importance. You see the enemy would love for us to get stuck in this place.