I attended the funeral yesterday for one of my friends  named Steve.  I’ve had a lot of good memories and good stories come to my mind this week about Steve. A good person always leaves you with a lot of good stories and good memories and Steve is one of the best. I remember one time at church a group of us men were trimming trees and clearing debris after a storm. We had been working for a few hours and as I was walking to the other side of the property I met up with Steve. He mentioned he had moved an old saw horse but got popped by a yellow jacket that had made a little nest underneath it. I told him I would have helped him but that I didn’t even see him moving that old saw horse. He smiled and said, “Well, what with those yellow jackets and all… I really didn’t move that saw horse very far. A fellow needs to know when to let some things go.”

That was Steve. He had a way with words. I used that story one time of Steve, the sawhorse and the yellow jackets to illustrate the verse in Ephesians 4:31 where we are told to let go of bitterness, wrath, anger, slander and malice in our lives and instead are told to be kind, tenderhearted and forgiving others just as God in Christ has forgiven us. By the way he lived, Steve always helped me remember that some things are worth holding on to and some things just need to be let go. I know Steve helped others remember things like that too. And for that reason, it’s gonna be real hard to let him go. I hope that God blesses you this week with good times and good friends to hold onto and the good sense to know when to let some other things go.

Until next time, stay strong in the faith,

Pastor Phillip Stephens