Today we’re going to read 2 Kings chapter 4, and then we’re going to do something different after the reading. Please be sure you stick around to listen. I guarantee you will be blessed.

I had the honor today (which was yesterday, if you are listening on the day this episode is published) of running the tech at the funeral of a wonderful, honorable, gentle, pillar of faith of a man. His name was Clarence R Williams, Jr. He was seventy-five years old when cancer claimed his life.

At my church, we called him Brother Clarence, but to others he was known by Bishop Williams, Pastor Williams, Reverend Williams. He was a husband and a father.

Side note: He met the girl he would end up marrying (her name is Eleanor) when he was nine years old. Imagine that! They were the best of friends for sixty-six years! What a blessing.

I could go on and on about this man, but let me tell you just a short personal story before I get to what I want to play for you. When my son, Steven, was so sick a few years back because of a perforated colon, he had to have an ileostomy, which meant that he had to have a bag, or appliance as is the correct term, on his side to collect this waste. Steven was only twenty-one when this happened.

Well, when Brother Clarence heard about this, he came to visit Steven in the hospital to tell him that this was not the end of the world. And he told Steven that he had been living with a colostomy appliance since he was in his twenties. Of course we had no idea. Brother Clarence lived a very productive and vital life, and he never let on that he was living with an appliance. He just wanted Steven to know that everything was going to be ok. That he could still live and do whatever it was that God would call him to do. That this was nothing at all to hold him back.

And Brother Clarence visited Steve several times during is month-long stay in the hospital. Always with a smile, a scripture, and an encouraging word.

I am so going to miss our friend. But what a joyous Christmas he is about to have this year, in the presence of the Lord.

During todays memorial service for him, we had the absolute joy of meeting the woman you are about to hear. Her name is Ehmandah, and I think you are going to be as blessed as we were when you hear this song.

You can learn more about Ehmandah at www.Ehmandah.com. That’s spelled ehmandah, and you do need to use the www when you go to her website.