In the '60s

there was a movie entitled "The Day After."

It was

produced in the time frame when America was very much

involved in the Cold War and the realities of possible

nuclear annihilation of life as we knew it.

We knew

that the Soviet Union and her allies had targeted our

American cities with nuclear missiles and were awaiting

the most opportune time to strike. We knew that their

doctrine was steeped in the belief that war with the West

was inevitable. These were scary times.

In the

movie scenario, it dealt with how life would be for

America the "day after" the missiles hit our

American cities. The movie was very popular at the time

because it was an idea that we knew could very well

happen and even could today. (Perish the thought!)

Yesterday

we buried my mother at the Holly Hills Cemetery,

Fairburn. Today is for me and my family "the day

after."

Mother was

born in Neosho, Mo. Aug. 5, 1910. As a child in grade

school she moved with her family of four sisters and

three brothers to the oil boom town of Okmulgee, Okla. It

was here that as a girl of 16 she gloriously accepted

Christ as her Savior and decided to serve Him for the

rest of her life.

The night

she received Christ she went to a revival meeting led by

a Bulgarian evangelist who was speaking at the First

Baptist Church of Okmulgee. I don't know if the

evangelist even remembered this wonderful "divine

appointment" that took place that evening, but this

16-year-old teenager, because of that moment in time,

changed the world for many people.

Anyone

reading this will possibly say that I am saying these

things about my mother out of grief or just from my love

for her, and I'm sure some of that is true. I also know

that what I am about to say about her is very true.

As a pastor

of 28 years, I have met a lot of people in God's work and

seen and heard a lot of people talk about their faith,

but I never met a person who was more totally sold out to

Jesus Christ than my mother.

As she got

older and began to walk with the aid of a metal walker,

she had my wife, Dee, get her a maroon (her favorite

color) bag to hang on the side of her walker decorated

with a matching bow. This bag contained her salvation

tracts and Bibles she would distribute. At times I had to

empty it to make it lighter so she could get around

better.

I have seen

her see someone eating at the Waffle House and get up

slowly from her seat and walk, using her walker, over to

someone and say to them, "Sir, my spirit tells me

that you are a Christian. Is that so?" The responses

were amazing. She would then say, "Is there any

situation in your life that needs prayer?"

I have seen

grown men stand there and wipe their eyes as she would

unashamedly pray for them.

Mother was

not doing this in a public place to embarrass anyone,

although it may have some, but she did it because her

"witness" was slowly coming to a close and her

mobility was limited. She was just continuing to witness

as she had for over 73 years.

As her

health started to deteriorate, she had to go on several

trips to the hospital and I remember her talking to a

nurse in the emergency room at Fayette Community

Hospital. This nurse had the midnight shift and, as I

called to check on mom, she told me that mom had sung

hymns to her all night.

It reminded

me of the Apostle Paul and Silas singing while in prison.

As her health continued to deteriorate further, she

stopped talking altogether and would just moan in alto

harmony with the tapes. She had been in church choirs

singing alto all her life.

At her

funeral six pastors shared their experience of how this

woman had touched their lives and the lives of their

congregations. There were a total of 10 pastors at her

funeral.

At the

close of her life, she had carried the cause of Christ to

groups on every continent except Australia and

Antarctica. She and my father had been voluntary

missionaries to Scotland and South Korea.

She had

been dean of women of her college and had on several

assignments had weekly Christian radio broadcasts.

A saint of

God has gone to her reward. "The day after" is

sad but very sweet because of the love she had for her

Lord and His church. "The day after" we will

continue the work of the church. The relay baton has been

passed and we will try not to drop it!

The Rev.

Dr. Knox Herndon is the pastor of His House Community

Church (SBC) and a substitute school teacher in the

Fayette County school system, and a former Army chaplain.

The church is currently meeting in the American Legion

Log Cabin across from the fountain on the Square in

Fayetteville. Prayer line 770-719-2365; e-mail [email protected]