MINISTER'S MOMENT
Nick Holley's last gift
ERNIE TURNEY

I guess everyone in Kilgore knew Nick Holley if not he knew you. He was one of those great people who never met a stranger. We lost him a few weeks ago. And now the family is working all the transitions that we call the grief process.

One of the things that comes with a long term illness is left over medicine and medical supplies. So last week Nick's family gave and I delivered two boxes of medicine and medical supplies to the Bering Omega House in Houston.

This is an in resident hospice facility for persons who do not have financial resources. Many of these people have HIV and Aids. Bering Omega is able to receive gifts of unused medicines. So I wanted to share with you the idea that instead of just throwing away unused medicines there are organizations that can use them. These are gifts that should not be wasted.

Nick Holley was a generous man. The last gift he gave happened after he died. That sounds to me like a resurrection experience. God's greatest gift, the eternal hope of the resurrection happened after Jesus died. That is why we celebrate at funerals. That is why Easter is so important. That is why we are not afraid of death.

I hope God will see you in church.

Grace and peace,

Ernie Turney St. Luke's United Methodist Church.