Death is a condition that is universal among mankind. Job speaks of death as “the house appointed to all the living” in Job 30:23. And the writer of Hebrews in a familiar passage tells us that it is our human destiny to die and then face the judgment. We hear about someone dying every day. We have experienced death of someone that we loved before, and we will experience it again.
And I know this by personal experience… when death comes it leaves us devastated, it leaves us hurting, it leaves us broken-hearted. And as a pastor, I see death more often than most, but I have to admit, it still catches me unprepared. So as Benita’s pastor what can I say to you at a time like this.
Fortunately, I can search God’s Word and it gives me an answer. There was a time in the history of Israel that King David was near death and so he called for his son Solomon, and he offered words of comfort and advice for Solomon going forward. King David’s great concern was that Solomon do the right thing. And I am sure that is how Benita fells about her children, grandchildren and her family.
1 Kings 2:1–3 NKJV
1 Now the days of David drew near that he should die, and he charged Solomon his son, saying: 2 “I go the way of all the earth; be strong, therefore, and prove yourself a man. 3 And keep the charge of the LORD your God: to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His commandments, His judgments, and His testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn.
Benita would tell you to be strong just as David told his son.
I met Benita right after moving up here to take the pastorate at Bala Chitto. I discovered that Ms. Floy, Vernon’s mom, was one of our church members and that she was home bound, and Benita was taking care of her. At the time, I remember thinking this lady has her hands full taking care of Ms. Floy and running a trucking business that operated five trucks and being a wife and mother.
Later on, I learned just how tough a cookie Benita was. She started coming to church, I cannot remember if she got saved or rededicated her life, I remember her getting baptized, joined the choir and spearheaded getting a lot of things done at the church. Some people might say she was bossy, I would say that she was a strong woman who got things done.
It takes a strong lady to deal with the death of her son. Wade was heading back home on I-55 South just past the Wesson rest area with his truck when the truck in front of him dropped some of its load. Wade veered to miss the load on the road and went down an incline and the trailer flipped on the truck bed killing him instantly.
In 2008, Vernon passed, and she was left to run the trucking business alone. She took his death pretty hard. I learned in the days after Vernon’s death how much she depended on Vernon. She managed running the business for a little while but without Vernon by her side she shortly retired.
Felicia told me that at the age of eighteen, Benita moved from McComb (she was living in the area where White Acres is today) out here to Magnolia to dairy farm. I am a city boy, but I would imagine that you would have to be pretty strong lady to be a dairy farm. Caroline Wells, her cousin, tells me that she loved milking cows.
My word to you her children, grandchildren, and family, Be strong like Benita.
I discovered an interesting thing this week. For the longest some of the family called her Ben net and the others Benita. Her name was supposed to be Ben net, but it got spelled on the birth certificate Benita.
Benita would tell you to follow God in your life just as David told his son.
Benita when she was well, she was always here at Bala Chitto. And she would constantly tell me to minister to Vernon because he is not saved. When you love God, you are not going to want any of your loved one not to be with you in heaven. And that was the case with Benita.
One day Vernon was in Beacham Hospital and the time was right to share Christ with him and he accepted Jesus Christ as his Savior. When I told Benita that Vernon came to know Christ she was elated.
You talk about a person with a generous heart, it was Benita. If I mentioned from this pulpit that someone had a need, at the end of the service, here comes Benita to meet me at the back door and slip me some money.
Felicia, I remember you talking to me about how your mother would always get on you about not tithing. Your mother was a giving lady.
I hear comments this week from family and friends of Benita describing her as having “a heart of gold.”
Under this section about church, I got to tell you one bad thing about Benita. Probably 10 to 15 years ago, we decided to compete in the Pike County Baptist Association Softball league. We got up a team and called ourselves the Bala Chitto Buzzards. And I do not how but Benita became the head Buzzard, our coach. Sad to say, we did not win many games that year. We did not compete the following year.
Benita was a good Christian, as a coach not so good.
My words to you her children, grandchildren and family is get yourself back in church and start living for God rather than this world.
Benita would tell you to prove yourself to those you love just as David told his son.
When Carolyn Wells spoke with me on Wednesday, she reminded me of the story about her and Benita driving some two thousand miles to Washington State to get you out of the service. She stood up to that captain and told him that I am taking my daughter home to Magnolia. And he got the paperwork done to discharge her. Let me tell you she proved to you that she loved you. (A side note: Benita had a heavy foot on the gas pedal and got you home in no time.)
David, Timmy and Wade, she really did not like you all driving those 18 wheelers because she knew just how dangerous they can be. But the fact that she allowed her three boys to drive proved how much she loved you. And David and Timmy, the fact that she did not try to pull you off the road after Wade’s death, prove that she loved you.
And I think everyone of her children and grandchildren that lived at her house or near her house, got to see how much she proved her loved for Vernon. They were a great couple together and you saw firsthand how they loved each other. They loved to travel together. And Benita and Vernon loved to dance together.
My words to you her children, grandchildren and family do not let things divide you. Find ways to prove your love for one another.
Benita would tell you that life without walking with God is difficult and life walking with God is good just as David told his son.
Benita knew Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior. The moment she died on December 22, 2022, her soul and spirit departed this body and immediately went to heaven to be with Jesus. The Bible says to be absent from the body is to be present with God.
Before her health let her. she was a very active church member walking with God. Even after she was sick and unable to attend church, she still walked with God. And I know that she would want the same thing for her children.
My words to you her children, grandchildren and family is that if you are not walking with God in your life, give your life to God, and start walking with Him.
Let us pray.
