"If we never meet again..." - Joey Ferrell

It was a vibrant spring Saturday morning on March 31, 2012. I had plans to work in the yard, get the mower out and cut the early spring grass, daffodils and onions and just relax a bit since it was the first Saturday I had not had plans in several weeks. I was laying in bed at about 7:40 a.m. Kristie had left to take our youngest daughter to a martial arts competition. Our oldest daughter was probably still asleep. And then, my cell phone rang.

“Hello.” The voice on the other end of the phone was one I knew very well, but it was different this day. “Joey, get out here now!” It was my dad. He sounded angry, but also scared and confused. I had no idea what was wrong until the very next words came through what seemed like such a distant connection. “Your mom isn’t breathing. Get here now!”

After I called Kristie and screamed for our oldest daughter, who tried to calm me as we waited on Kristie to get back home from just a few minutes away, I fell on my knees and prayed. I prayed so hard that very moment. It was a prayer like probably none other I had ever prayed.

A few minutes later, we were in route to my mom and dad’s house. When we got there, there was an emergency officer there and he told us they had gone to the hospital. We quickly headed that way as well. When we got there, my dad was in the ER waiting area along with a lady that worked for my mom. Dad was hysterically crying, and he kept saying he didn’t know what was happening. My brother and sister arrived from out of town some time later, but only after what seemed like hours of waiting for the doctor to come to the small waiting room with the heart-wrenching words - “we did all we could do. She just wasn’t strong enough.” I replied, “what do you mean? She wasn’t strong enough for what??” You could see exactly what he meant in his facial expression when he replied, “she was on a lot of medication for her heart.” I knew by the form of past tense statement what he meant. Oh it hurt so bad to hear those last words. I am sure he had more to say, but my mind was tuned out as reality began to sink in. My mother was gone. 66 years old. She had just emailed me and my siblings the night before (and I still keep that email to look at often). It couldn’t be true. She just had her birthday on March 5 and they celebrated their 47th anniversary on March 6. There had to be a mistake. But there wasn’t.

After my siblings arrived, I met them in the parking lot. They did not know as of yet, and that was one of the hardest things I have ever had to tell them. It was definitely something that we could not understand. It just didn’t seem right. It wasn’t fair. This was our mother! But she was gone. We all went into the room where her precious body laid and it was clear that her soul had left her body as there was no life to be found. It was to this day, the saddest I believe I have ever felt. It had been quite a few years since we had lost my grandfather - her father, and a handful of years since we had lost my dad’s mother. This was the first “close” family member to die in a while, and it certainly was not expected.

This past Sunday evening, at the local church service that we attended, a brother led the song “If we never meet again” written by Albert R. Brumley in 1945 (ironically, the year before my mother was born). I love to sing this song and it brings special feelings to my heart as I do. Look at some of the words of the song:

“Soon we'll come to the end of life's journey,
and perhaps we'll never meet anymore,
till we gather in heaven's bright city,
far away on that beautiful shore.

If we never meet again this side of heaven,
as we struggle through this world and its strife,
there's another meeting place somewhere in heaven,
by the side of the river of life,
where the charming roses bloom forever,
and where separations come no more,
if we never meet again this side of heaven,
I will meet you on that beautiful shore.”

Verses 2 and 3 are just as beautiful to read and sing.

After mom passed, I struggled with the idea of how we are to be judged in our lives for an eternal home in heaven. Sure, the bible is very clear on what it takes to be saved through faith, repentance, and obedience in baptism. It is also very clear about what we need to do about remaining faithful, and not wavering to a sinful world. My mom was saved (Mark 16:16). The story I was told was that she tried to teach my dad that her upbringing in a denominational church was just fine…but she studied herself (and him) into the truth of God’s word and they were baptized at the Main Street church of Christ in Manchester, TN some time before I was born. Later in life though, her health kept her from being at worship services a lot and I could not help but wonder how her spiritual well-being may have been as we know that we can certainly steer away from a place of salvation and our “blessed assurance” if Satan can figure out how to get between us and God (Isaiah 59:1-2). Personally, I cannot go for any extended length of time without being fed spiritually and not feel myself coming up short, and I was concerned.

After a few weeks, I was helping my dad clean up some things around the house. I looked up at the bookshelf where all of mom’s “bible books” were. Commentaries, multiple bibles in various translations, study aids, books…and there it was…a spiral notebook that contained mom’s notes of her studies. I asked dad if I could take it with me to read and to bring back. He said of course I could. I am so happy that I did. Within this spiral notebook, I could see a glimpse into the spiritual heart of my mother that there was no other way of seeing. Her notes were fantastic. Lots of scripture. Lots of comments about things she had read. I even found some notes she recorded from a sermon that I had preached that she was able to be in the audience some time before. My heart felt so much better. Some of her notes were much more detailed and scripturally accurate than some preachers’ (including my own) notes were for their own sermons!

My mom has been gone from this life 13 years now. But, her legacy is not. Her spiritual influence is still thriving in me as I recently started my 17th year of working for the Lord in ministry. Her name is on the sign in front of The Gospel of Christ building in honor of her life and influence on others. One of the only pictures that I have of her (with my dad and oldest daughter) hangs on the wall in the building where our office and studio are as that building was built by her and my dad to operate a business in over 25 years ago. (We are blessed to be able to house our efforts here still with renting the property). Certainly, Treva Ferrell still lives on in her legacy.

But, what about that song. You see, we never met again in this life, and we never will. Hebrews 9:27 says that it is appointed for man once to die, and then the judgment. Every human being will face that day until the Lord returns to call the faithful home and this earth will be laid bare with no life left on it. That day, each one of us will give an account for our lives, the things we have done in the body, whether secret or visible. And that day, we will all find our eternal home…either in heaven with our God and our Savior Christ Jesus, or in the eternal clutches of Satan in a horrible situation that is described as a lake of fire with weeping and gnashing of teeth and where the worm dies not (Revelation 19-20). One day you and I will leave this earth to never meet our friends, coworkers, brothers and sisters in Christ and our families again “this side of heaven.”

Where will you be? Will you meet your loved ones in heaven? Will you meet our God in heaven? Will you be in that bright city and by the shining river of life with no sorrow, no tears, no pain, and no strife? (Revelation 21). Friend, it is my prayer that we will meet on this earth, if only by chance or through our brotherly love for one another, but, if it is not in God’s will that we may, I pray that “If we never meet again this side of heaven…I will meet you on that beautiful shore!” Are you ready? Have you put on Christ in baptism for the remission of your sins? Have you remained faithful to God and His word? If not, it is our prayer at The Gospel of Christ that we can help is some way and we would love to hear from you.

May God bless.

Joey