Let’s celebrate together

“Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!” Matthew 25:21

See the face of that precious man? It reflects Jesus in so many ways. The first and most radiant part of that face is his smile. That is the smile of true joy. It is a smile that appears naturally and at all times no matter what. No matter the pain, the sadness, and the fear, no matter what-that smile appeared on this precious man's face. That smile has an effect on people-you can never walk away from it without feeling good, or blessed, or encouraged. There is only one way a smile like that can appear on one's face, as did his, and that is by being as in love and filled with Jesus as he is.

See his eyes? Those eyes have seen Jesus at work all over this world. They have seen lives transformed, hearts restored, and illnesses healed. They have also seen the beauty, love, and joy of a woman who has been by his side for years. They have seen the blessings of his children and grandchildren. Some of the things those eyes loved watching the most was his grandchildren playing baseball, and watching Ryan stand before a church and preach about the thing he was most passionate about-Jesus. Those eyes have seen so much good and bad but today they have seen something greater and more beautiful than any of us could ever put into words. Those eyes are now seeing Jesus face to face!

See those ears? Those ears have heard the joy of people coming to know Christ. They have heard the cries of the broken; they have heard the sound of his children being born and his grandchildren being born. They have heard many prayers prayed by others; they have heard stories of victory, stories of deliverance, stories of great news and devastating news. They have heard the sound of his beautiful wife as she whispers I love you, I am proud of you, it is going to be okay, and the sound of her laughter, her cries, and her joy.  They have heard the sound of his children telling stories of growing up, and stories of their children now. They have heard his grandson preach the word of God and say his wedding vows. They have heard the word of God over and over. But today, they have heard the words they have longed to hear in a verbal audible voice "Well done, my good and faithful servant, well done. Welcome home!" Today those ears have heard the voice of Jesus.

See that mouth? That mouth has spoken wisdom, love, and has lifted its voice to the throne room on many, many occasions. It has encouraged, it has spoken boldness, it has taught, corrected, and brought comfort, all because its words came from the word of God. It left me always wanting to hear more when it opened, and brought me and so many others closer to the Lord. That mouth was controlled by the Lord. It spoke only when prompted by the Lord, it made us laugh and cry all at the same time. Anyone that ever heard him speak always walked away knowing more about Jesus than before. I loved the boldness that came from it. I loved that it was always positive even in the midst of pain and suffering. I love that today that mouth is now singing songs of praise to our Heavenly Father.

See his upper body, the part where his heart sits? That heart has felt Jesus enter in and make His home; it has felt love, joy, and peace that followed as Jesus made His place of dwelling. That heart has been so full of love for others that Jesus specifically expanded it for Him so it could hold as many people in it as possible. It has broken for the broken-hearted, mourned for those in mourning, and celebrated with those who celebrated. It has been filled up to the point of overflowing with love for Jesus' word. It has been used to its fullest potential for the sake of Jesus' name being known. It has traveled all over the world and has been left in many different places with many different people who have stolen it. It is a heart that has beat in sync with Jesus for years. And it is a heart that has been captured and given to one woman-sweet Linda. And though that heart belonged to her, it was shared with his children, their children and each of us. Thank you Linda for allowing us the privilege of being loved by that heart of his!

His arms and his hands that are attached to the upper part of that body have embraced many who he knew just needed Jesus' touch. Those arms and hands have been used to the max by Jesus and it never mattered what the situation was whether a hello hug or let me embrace you because that is what Jesus wants those arms to do, he did. And no matter how you felt at that moment when he hugged you or shook your hand, you always walked away feeling better and more blessed. They have worked hard over the years serving others for Jesus, but today they got to experience something they have never experienced before, the touch and feel of Jesus Himself. 

See his chest? That chest has been suffering from illness for quite some time, even to the point of robbing him from breathing easily and freely on his own, but today that chest is free from illness. It is free from suffering, free from pain, and free from the fight. Today he is healed, he is made new, and today he sits at the feet of Jesus feeling the warmth of His holiness, hearing the sounds of thousands of angels singing, and seeing the faces of all those who have gone before him, come and greet him. Today Brother Don Collins a man of whom I adored, admired, loved, and could never get enough of when he preached, is now in a place for which I too long to be. For that I am jealous. 

Mrs. Linda you my sweet sister are loved by all of us and we are praying God's quickest peace to come over you and your family during this time. We have been blessed to be loved by Brother Collins and you, and it is our honor to return that love to you. I hope you will rest in the closeness of His presence today as He knows your very need my sweet girl.