Patsy Rogers (1934-2019) had many friends.  I want to tell you about a couple of little friends who adored her and she adored in return.  Their names are Hallie (age 7) and Darcie (age 6) Holland.  (I’m sure their little sister, Abbie, age 4, was at least an onlooker for some of their encounters.)  These little friends’ grandmother (Nelly Eddlemon) has shared some things about her granddaughters’ friendship with Patsy:

“I (Nelly) loved watching her on Sundays at Creekwood, so elegantly dressed from head to toe.  The kids looked forward with anticipation to see what kind of beautiful hat and matching jewelry she would wear, and they always complimented her on it.  They would be looking back from their seats until they would spot her to tell me excitedly: ‘She’s here, she’s here!  Ms. Patsy is here!’  And as soon as worship service was over, they would run to talk to her and hug her.  Oh they loved her so.  She was their church great grandma.”

“One day while driving Hallie and Darcie to see her, they told me how much they loved Ms. Patsy.  I asked them to name the reasons why and they said: ‘She listens to us when we are talking to her; she really does!  She talks to us, she laughs at our stories, she smiles a lot, she jumps up and down with us because she’s so happy to see us.  She gives us hugs and loves us.’”

“The first time I took them to see Ms. Patsy when she went into the nursing home, I wanted to make sure they knew she was going to look different from how they were used to seeing her.  I told them that after our visit, we would get something to eat and maybe do something else.  Hallie said: ‘Yes, Lita, we are so happy.  We want to go see her before we do anything else because LOVE comes first.’”  Think about that beautiful statement for a moment.

“When we got there Darcie ran into her room to tell her something.  With young children you hold your breath because you never know what they will say.  Although with Ms. Patsy, you didn’t have to worry about that much because she loved that about the kids.  ‘They just tell it like it is!’ Patsy would say.  Then I heard Darcie say to her with the sweetest voice that she didn’t care about her not wearing her hats, jewelry and make up because she was already pretty, and that she was VERY pretty inside and that she loved her very much.  This brought tears to Patsy’s eyes and the biggest smile on her face.”

Friends.  They were separated in age by almost 80 years, but they were friends.  What a beautiful friendship they shared.

These sweet connections were made possible because of the love of God.  Patsy Rogers was a Christian and a member of the Creekwood church of Christ.  The parents of Hallie and Darcie (Josh & Nikki) are Christians and members of the same congregation.  When they all became connected to Christ, they became connected to one another – and their children, too!

Being connected with Christ brings salvation, eternal life, and membership in His family, the church.  God loves us so much that He gave His Son Jesus to die on the cross for our sins (John 3:16).  When we place our faith and trust in Him (Acts 16:30-31), turn from our sins in repentance (Acts 17:30-31), confess Him before men (Romans 10:9-10), and are baptized (immersed) into Christ (Acts 2:38), our sins are washed away (Acts 22:16), we received the gift of eternal life (Romans 6:23), and we are added to the Family of God, the church (Acts 2:41, 47).  Then, as we continue to “walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).

Connected to Christ as our Savior and our Lord.  Connected to one another as members of the Family of God, the church.  These connections are sweet indeed.

Won’t YOU become connected to Christ and His church through your trusting obedience?

* In loving memory of Patsy Rogers (1934-2019) – a dear friend to the young and the old and a sister in Christ in the Family of God.  Until we meet again.

David A. Sargent, Minister

Church of Christ at Creekwood 
1901 Schillinger Rd. S.
Mobile, Alabama  36695

Archived issues of Living Water can be viewed and accessed from our website at: www.creekwoodcc.org