announcing a pre-Mature future

Gladys Parsons was one of my favorite parishioners back at Parsons Grove United Methodist Church in Pekin, North Carolina. Understand I think it is fare to say that I was not one of her favorite pastors-- however, I truly learned to love this old lady and her unique sense of a pre-Mature future.

Let me explain shortly after Bishop Minnick appointed me to serve Parsons Grove I received a phone call from Gladys. She told me that she wanted to share with me her death experience and how God sent her back to save souls. I was not sure what to make of this strange little lady, but I must admit I learn to deeply appreciate her sense that God was involved in history and God works in ways fundamentally involved in peoples real life.

While serving at Parsons Grove I experienced a number of cataclysmic events in the life of my ministry and family. During our time there Ronda and I took in our first abused and negelected children. Likewise, during our time serving at Parsons Grove I encounter for the first time- as a pastor- what it meant to deal with internal family sexual misbehavior (read child-abuse). Gladys was the one constant during these years. In the midst of this little wierd old woman's life their was the constant proclamation that sin was powerful but not powerful enough to undo grace.

I will never forget being angry at a father who had sexually mistreated his daughter, abused his sons and deceived his wife. Literally, I wanted to break this man in half. He deserved the worst that we had-- in fact I must saddly admit I formed a sense of hate for him. Gladys called me and said, "You know what Michael, _______ was created and loved by God. God maynot desire what he has done, and there is going to be consequences but don't allow what he has done to create in you the power of sin."

I heard Gladys died the other day and I must admit that I will miss her even though I haven't seen her in nearly fifteen years. Gladys was a gift! I have to admit I am still not sure what to make of death experiences. To be honest Gladys never asked me what I made of her experience and I am not sure God really cares what I make of any experience. However, I am sure that I hope within my ministry and within my life I might someday have some young person look back on me as a crazy old man and say-- "Michael was a gift!

PEACE