Bobby Beard Funeral

Bobby Beard Funeral

(Age 22 years – passed away as a result of injuries from an auto accident)

Only a few days ago, Robert “Bobby” Beard was a happy, healthy young man who was looking forward to a long and wonderful life. Like most people his age, he never considered that he would soon leave this world.

Those friends and family members who spoke to him and saw him in the days prior to his accident will always remember him as a loving, caring and happy young man with a lot dreams and ambitions.

His parents, Mike and Jeanette, had raised their son and were preparing to watch him blossom into full manhood. Their love and pride for Bobby was, and still is, so very great.

If there is one thing that is hard for mortal human beings to consider, it is the fact that we do not always control our future. That future is in the hands of Almighty God.

When Bobby left home on that fateful day, neither he nor his parents could foresee the events that would forever impact them before the sun rose again.

Life is uncertain at best and, all too often, the things that happen seem so unfair.

James 4:14, "Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away."

Today Bobby has been called away by God and he has now gone home to meet the Lord. He was given to us, and especially to his parents and family, as a gift from Heaven to bring joy and happiness into life for a brief time.

Now God has ordained that Bobby should be taken from us because God loved him and desired to take him home.

We grieve today because Bobby is no longer with us, but our grief is mostly because of the great loss that we feel for a friend and a beloved son who we shall miss so greatly.

If Bobby could speak to us now, I believe that his words would be something like this:

“Mom & Dad, I love you and I will miss you so very much. Don’t grieve so for me, for we shall meet again soon. Let my passing show all of you that no one is immune to death and that, at any moment, the life of any one of you who listens today, can end just as quickly and unexpectedly. I will be waiting for you when the time comes for us to be together again. Until then, I love you all.”

You see Beloved, God is still in control. We don’t know what tomorrow may bring but God knows. We don’t understand and no one can explain why God chooses to call our loved ones home – but God has His reasons and we must place our trust in Him and go on living.

Jesus understands your grief for at the tomb of Lazarus, the scripture says that “Jesus Wept”. Jesus wasn’t crying so much for Lazarus because He knew that Lazarus was only “sleeping” for a while and would rise again. Jesus cried for the living who grieved and mourned as though they had no hope of ever seeing their friend and brother again.

John 11:25-26, "Jesus said to her (Martha, Lazarus’ sister), I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die."

I want you to know that same Jesus, who spoke peace to Martha, is here right now.

He is here to heal your wounded heart! He is here to ease the pain in your soul!

He is here to bring hope to the hopeless! He is here to speak peace and bring love to your grieving spirit.

In closing, I believe that Bobby would say to you this morning, “Put your life and your trust into the hands of Jesus Christ. There is no other lasting way to have peace and joy.”

Jesus will fill the void that you feel because of the loss of Bobby with the love of God.

God has called Bobby home and now He is calling out to you to come to Jesus. Let Jesus begin the healing process that will come with the passing of time.

Certainly you will feel loss. You will experience grief. You will be hurting on the inside even when others can’t see it on the outside. But, with God’s help, you will smile again.

Someday, very soon, I believe that we all shall be called home to be with the Lord.

Once again you will see Bobby and perhaps you will walk hand-in-hand down Heaven’s golden avenues and then sit down by the River of Life never to be separated again.