Birthday trip...Part 3 (there will be a part 4)

Now I'm having to look back to see what we did because I've never had this many parts to write before! It was much easier DOING all these things than it is to remember and WRITE them! I've got to keep looking back at my pictures to see what's next!

Natchez Historical Cemetery was the next stop. Barbie drove us all the way towards the back where the older graves are. Beings it was Confederate Memorial Week-end there were flags placed on those remembered.

As we drove just past this area, the girls said something about a tree and a man, maybe a solider carved into it. We could see clearly what they were speaking of so Barbie drove to a place we could stop. We sent the girls up the hill to the tree to see how it was done. As they ran back they just said they wanted to go see the grave Barbie had spoken of with the steps leading down in the ground. We thought no more about asking how the carving was. We drove around and found the grave we had been planning on seeing. It's one of a 10 year old girl, born in 1861 died in 1871... the mother had read to her precious daughter every evening. There must have been something very special about it because after the child died, friends and family built some steps behind the grave leading to about where the casket would be, 6ft. in the ground. You can see the back of the head stone at the top of the picture above and this is what it reads...

"O weep not my parents no longer repine, for in beauty transcendent your daughter doth shine. But dry up your tears and prepare soon to come, to join in the praise of the Father and Son."

Standing at the front of the headstone, I took a picture where the steps can be seen much better, and also an angel held with concrete that looks down towards the steps as if keeping a watchful eye on the child.... The Mother of this child would sit on the bottom one so she was close to her daughter as she read to her every evening as she always did.

Beth, Carly & Madge each took turns walking down and sitting on the bottom step....knowing just a few inches of concrete separated them and the childs casket. We listened as each one had their own thoughts of what the mother must have been thinking, or had sad it must have been and how sweet but also sad it is to hear the story now. They knew this mother must have loved her daughter dearly. This had to be the highlight of our day.

After a few moments here, the girls ran up to the "turning Angel" which is a large Angel standing atop a mausoleum that I think Barbie said folks say at night she looks as if she is turning...maybe the lights hitting it just right or something. As the girls admire that, Barbie and I turn and I see that tree again that we saw at the start. I asked Barbie if the girls said anything about the carving and she said they had not. I zoomed in and got a picture.

See the confederate soldier sitting looking towards the right? His left hand is holding a cane....has the confederate suit on and etc. Isn't it great! We thought "How neat beings it's the confederate memorial week-end that someone would/could do this". As we loaded the girls up in the van to leave, we asked them about the carving in the tree....All 3 said, "There is NO carving or anything...just a burnt out old tree trunk." Barbie and I both looked at each other. The girls began to talk about how there was nothing there, but how could we all be seeing this? We had no explanation....still have none. Do you see it too?

As we were leaving the cemetery I thought about life and how we are either dedicated to God or not. When we die nothing here matters except our dedication for Christ..... Am I as dedicated to Christ as this mother was her child..coming to her daily? Do I sense His presence with me to the extent of being able to "see" Him just as we "saw" the soldier? What does TRUE commitment to Christ mean?

John 12:25....The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.

*study note....We must be so committed to living for Christ that we "hate" our lives by comparison. This does not mean that we long to die or that we are careless or destructive with the life God has given, but that we are willing to die if doing so will glorify Christ. We must disown the tyrannical rule of our own self-centeredness. By laying aside our striving for advantage, security, and pleasure, we can serve God lovingly and freely. Releasing control of our lives and transferring control to Christ bring eternal life and genuine joy.

I believe that is how we truly see Christ is through the joy, genuine joy, that He can only give....by me/us being totally committed to Him.

Have a DAY OF COMMITMENT in Christ!

God bless you....