Mrs. Patti Williams funeral today

As I watched Mrs. Williams funeral today, or home going ceremony, as some of her children said, I was struck by several different things and thought I might jot them down:

One, what a big family the Williams are blessed with! Someone left a comment about that and left the verse Psalms 127:3.  "Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward." How true.

Also, how important writing letters of encouragement was to Mrs. Williams. Two different speakers read from letters that Mrs. Williams had written them, two other speakers talked about the letters they had received from Patti over the years and her children and grandchildren also mentioned receiving letters. They spoke of the godly advice and portions of Scripture Patti's letters always contained.

A chuckle spread through the crowd when Mrs. Kagin read from a very old letter she had received from Mrs. Williams years ago. It said in part:


"Dear Dawn, how I love you in Christ. Be patient and wait and grow in the lord. Perhaps the Lord will bless you with a godly man. Rest in the Lord and trust him, enjoy the position you have at the moment."


If there had been one of those swivel cameras it would have focused in on Mr. Kagin and he would have been blushing! If memory serves, Mrs. Kagin remarked that she was married the very next year.

Before Mrs. Kagin began to read the letter from Mrs. Williams that she had kept all those long years, she spoke through tears of the "helpless 16 year old runaway" that she had been when she first met Mrs. Williams, and how Mrs. Williams had taken her under her wing, and loved her and cared for her, and how it meant so much. Mrs. Kagin also spoke of Patti's honest and strong rebukes as part of the care she received.
["...be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine"]

She recalled how Patti was outspoken about many things, but most of all Jesus and remarked that Patti knew her only goodness was her faith in Jesus Christ. (I think she was referring to the passage of Scripture "in my flesh dwelleth no good thing.")

I was also moved and personally challenged when two of her sons spoke about how often their mother prayed, with them and for them. Those images in their mind kept one son from committing suicide after a span of rebellion and drunkenness had made his life shipwreck. He said "I put that gun to my head and tried to pull the trigger, but the memory of my mother praying for me came rushing back, and I could not pull the trigger." This same son went on to speak of the forgiveness and restoration he experienced with his family.

A grandson spoke of how Mrs. Williams was a picture of grace to them. He also talked about how she did not dote, but instead guided, and was deeply concerned with what they learned to think of the Lord, and what the Lord would think of them!

Her oldest daughter (now a missionary to Mexico) talked about her mother saying to her, after Aaron died, "I need you to help me now, because you have been through what I am now going through," and how their "hearts were knit together" after this loss.

Lastly in my list, but by no means anything nearing a complete report, I was touched by the testimony of a young woman who was a former student at Hephzibah House. She spoke about how Mrs. Williams had always been there for her through the years and how many years ago,  "her sacrificial care" had been so important in the young lady's life. (When she was a student at HH.)

It was a very moving testimony and this former student, while  emotional at the loss of this dear lady,  was very poised and extremely well spoken. I wondered who she was and took a print screen for later so I could ask a friend of mine if he knew her. I titled it "Girl Mrs. Williams Helped."

Then tonight I checked my facebook messages. Earlier in the day I had sent a link to the live streaming of the home going ceremony to a former Hephzibah House student with whom I am acquainted via email.She's now a pastor's wife, a mother of four.  I had not corresponded with her in quite some time, but I knew she would want to view it if possible. She was replying with her thanks, and the news that she had worked all day Monday and driven 12 hours through the night to attend the funeral on Tuesday.

She told me it was a beautiful service and that there were many, many people there. I said "Lucinda, did you by any chance SPEAK at Mrs. Williams funeral???

She told me that she did, and how nervous she was, but what a blessing it was to talk of the love and care and many late night phone calls for prayer she had shared with Mrs. Williams, and how Mrs. Williams was always there for her, and would always pray for her.

Mystery solved. The very poised and well spoken young woman was Lucinda. :-)

Many more people spoke, many beautiful songs were sung, but the hour grows late, so I'll close for now.