Dorothy Grattan Funeral

Dorothy Grattan 12/17/01

Every now and then God decides to add a little something extra special to the family of humanity and wraps it up in a little package that we know as a little girl. This little girl was called Dorothy, not the Dorothy from Kansas, but from Forsythe Ga, who grew here in Cleveland. Dorothy Grattan a daughter, a mother, an aunt, a sister, a cousin, a friend, a wife and a child of God.

Today we celebrate the homegoing of one who decided to let Jesus Christ make a difference in her life. It’s never easy saying goodbye to someone we love and care about. God shares in our suffering and grief in that the Lord knows the loss that we feel. Jesus Himself cried with Mary and Martha in the loss of their brother. But at the same time God gives a special hope in moments like these.

God looks at death in such way, that it can even bring joy to the heart of God. It says in Psalm 116:15 Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints. Let it be known today that something precious happened in heaven, last ________ morning when Dorothy Grattan breathed out for the last time. Our sister found freedom in both her body and her spirit.

No doubt she’s praising God once again with the restraints of the severe arthritis in her body. We’ve got a reason to be happy for her on this night.

Dorothy Grattan’s death was precious, because she died in the Lord. My friends death has a date set for us all, but that date will only be precious if we die in the Lord. All of life is journey to death. It takes some of us longer than others to reach our destination but be certain, we will arrive, and we will get there on time. Will we be as prepared as Ms. Grattan was when the journey ends. Once we reached that stop, the issue becomes whose waiting for us to give us directions on the other side. Jesus said, "I’m going away to prepare a place for you and I will come back and take you with me that you also may be where I am."

There’s nothing like having a guide when you reach unfamiliar territory. When she saw Jesus about 2:30 in the morning, she knew everything was going to be all right as He began leading her to the place He had prepared.

Some ask if God is loving, why is there death. I see it as, because God is loving there is death. Can you imagine what a burden it would be to have to live life forever in the way we know it here on earth? What it would be to have pain in our bodies, unforgiveness and bitterness in our soul, or to be stuck at the bottom of poverty forever. God has seen all the evil, and the madness, and the pain that goes on in the world, and God decided that at some point this must stop.

That point is death.

God has always wanted to be in close relationship to human beings, because that’s why He created us. We will soon be celebrating Christmas because of God’s love for us. For The bible tells us John 3:16-17

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

God loved us to much to leave us alone, and God knew there was nothing we could do to pay the penalty for the wrong we have done. That is why Jesus Christ entered into the world. Jesus offered himself as a payment for the wrong that we have done. It is through Jesus Christ, that we find the forgiveness and mercy of God. To receive it, we simply acknowledge, yes God I know that I have done wrong and deserve death for it. I ask your forgiveness of my wrong and I accept the work that Jesus Christ has done on my behalf.

I give my life to serve Him in appreciation of the work He has done for me.

Going to heaven is not a matter of having done more good things than bad ones. Going to heaven is dependent on whether you died having accepted the work of Jesus Christ or not. Sister Grattan’s death was precious, not because she lived the holiest and most moral life possible. Her death was precious because she died in Christ. When she died, God smiled and said, "that’s one of mind, take her to one of the rooms my son Jesus has prepared. We’ve been expecting her."