A Tribute to Audra Spurlin

Here is a portion of the comments I made yesterday at the funeral service for Audra Spurlin.

Audra Genell Spurlin of Grandview, TN began her journey of life 64 years ago on November 10, 1945 in Fentress County, TN. She was the daughter of Theodore and Dovie Hite Hamby.

Although I can’t really tell you about her younger years, I can tell you that as her journey in life progressed, she married Johnny Spurlin at the age of 20 (July 2, 1966). To this marriage three beautiful girls were born: Pam, Janice, and Kim. Audra loved her husband and daughters with all her heart. She told me several times that they were her life.

As her life journey continued, and I’m not sure just when, but Audra accepted Jesus Christ as her personal Savior. This point in her life marked the beginning of a new direction on her journey. She “turned right” and kept on going straight. I remember attending the Dorton Church of God of Prophecy with her and her family when I was just a little boy. She was, in fact, a long time member of the Church of God of Prophecy and attended the New Beginnings congregation.

As in any journey, there are times when we need to take a short break from the trip. We utilize “rest areas” when we become tired, overwhelmed, or just need to get our bearings.

Audra, like all of us, had times when she needed to find a “rest area.” I know that there were times when she felt overwhelmed by some of the things she encountered on her journey, and she just needed to take a break “in the Lord.” There were times when she just needed to get her bearings. She didn’t use these “rest areas” with the intent to just stay there. She knew she had to continue her journey.

On one particular occasion, I had been preaching about worry and that we should not worry, but trust the Lord. Audra pulled over at a “rest area” to understand this better. She told me plainly that she didn’t understand just what it was I was talking about. We had a good conversation in which I tried to explain to her just what I meant by my message. Some time later, Audra came back to me and said she understood what I was talking about and that the Lord was helping her to trust Him more. She was placing some things in His hands.

Of course, with this new understanding about her journey, she headed back out. Forward with her journey.

Another time, Audra came to me and said that she was afraid to die. She didn’t have the kind of peace that I preached about. We had another conversation, and I prayed with her. Again, some time later (about 8 months ago), Audra told me that she had peace. She said something to the effect, “I don’t want to go right now, but I’m not afraid to die anymore.”

In just the three years I have served as her pastor, I have seen God at work in her life. It was He Who was giving her direction. It was He who gave her clarity about the direction of this journey. And He has done an awesome job!

On October 7, 2010 at approximately 10:50 (earth time), Audra reached her destination. The last breath she drew marked the successful completion of her journey. She now rejoices with those of her family who arrived before her: Her parents, her daughter Pam, and her brother William David Hamby.

Those she leaves behind to continue their own journey include her husband of 44 years, Johnny Spurlin; Daughters Janice Woody and her husband Keith, and Kim Meadows and her husband Bill, all of Grandview. Brothers Daniel Hamby of Evensville, TN and Houston Hamby of Spring City, TN. Sisters Esther Durham of Cookville, TN, Julie Loden of Grandview, TN, and Mary Waldo of Crossville TN. Grandchildren, Morgan Pelfrey and her husband Chris, Madison Woody, Reese Meadows and Jurnee Meadows.

To you, her family, I would rephrase the words of the apostle Paul and say, “[She has] fought a good fight, [she has] finished [her] course, [she has] kept the faith…” She has undoubtedly received her crown, that prize for a job well done (cf. 2 Timothy 4:7-8 KJV). And today, I believe that she has probably become part of that “great cloud of witnesses” spoken of by the writer of the Hebrew letter cheering us on.

Yes, I believe that she is right there in the cheering section along with other of our loved ones who died in Christ and they are cheering us on. And that, my friend, makes me want to break out in singing the last two verses of that old hymn

WHEN WE ALL GET TO HEAVEN

Let us then be true and faithful,
Trusting, serving every day;
Just one glimpse of Him in glory
Will the toils of life repay.

Refrain
When we all get to Heaven,
What a day of rejoicing that will be!
When we all see Jesus,
We’ll sing and shout the victory!

Onward to the prize before us,
Soon His beauty we’ll behold;
Soon the pearly gates will open
We shall tread the streets of gold.

Refrain
When we all get to Heaven,
What a day of rejoicing that will be!
When we all see Jesus,
We’ll sing and shout the victory!

The Man in the Mirror

We are in the process of going through the epistle of James on Wednesday nights. Last Wednesday we focused on James 1:19-27 and it continues to bear on my mind.

We Christians sometimes seem to get the idea that everyone else needs to change, but we do not. How easy it is to see everyone else’s faults while completely ignoring our own. We hear the Word of God and can easily see how “so-and-so” needs to apply it to their lives, but seem to be completely unwilling to even entertain the notion that we need to change, too.

James says that if we are going to be men and women of Christian integrity, we need to:

• Be “swift to hear” the Word of God. We need to concentrate our attention. Avoid distractions.
• Be “slow to speak”. The Word of God cannot speak to and change the heart of a person who thinks he/she already knows it all. Don’t argue or make excuses.
• Be “slow to anger”. We may not always like the Word we are hearing. That is because the Word of God is contrary to the flesh. The Word exposes our inappropriate thoughts and attitudes and that is not comfortable. But we need to control our anger and “receive [welcome] with meekness [mildness, humility] the…Word” (James 1:21).
• Be “doers of the Word”. Once we have prepared ourselves to hear and receive the Word of God, there must be action on our part. We must bring our thoughts and our attitude in subjection to the Word of God. It is not enough to look good on the outside. There must be an inward change. The Word of God must become the motivation, the driving force of our lives.

When we gaze into the mirror of God’s Word, God will help us to see ourselves as He sees us. The humble will receive His Word and make the necessary changes in their life. The proud, high minded person, on the other hand, will reject the Word and refuse to change, but insist that others do.

Which are you?