“Be careful what you say about the dead, especially when there is no

compassion on your lips.”

“Your own mouth condemns you, not mine;

your own lips testify against you.” — Job 15:6

“Story Time”‍ ‍

I was sitting underneath the hair dryer when someone began talking about a mutual friend—an acquaintance, really. I remember thinking that I hadn’t seen them in a good while. Normally, they would have called asking for a ride or asking if they could wash clothes, not really needing much.

They said she had been fatally struck by a vehicle trying to cross the street a few blocks away. Suddenly, memories from that person’s past, as well as my own past came flooding in. I DARED NOT SAY A WORD! And this is why.

The people talking said, “You look like you are about to cry,” or something to that effect. Little did they know that death was not far from that room. Still I said nothing.

They continued and said the person who passed away had no one to claim their body, and it sat at the morgue for several months then cremated.

The exact same thing happened to the deceased’s spouse. I remember her telling me the story. She and her husband were separated. He lived in another state when he was struck by a vehicle trying to cross the street as well. She said, “Knowing him, he was probably drunk trying to cross the street,” which is exactly what was being said about her.

Years earlier, while working on a book, the Lord kept interrupting me, telling me to take her (the deceased person) to the train station 60 or 70 miles away so she could visit her family. I thought, Lord, I’m busy. Can’t You get someone else to do it? I don’t even have a vehicle right now.

After His constant prompting, I relented and said, “Okay, Lord, I’ll rent a car and take her.”

Not long after that, my niece called and said she was going out of town and was going to leave her vehicle with me. Whenever you obey God, He will give you everything necessary to carry out the task. I did as He asked that day and continued to help her even when I didn’t want to. The look on my face and the thoughts running through my mind that day were things I couldn’t say then, but I can now.

Early one morning, I awakened to the sound of a familiar voice. I heard, “They are dropping like flies.” This person had already been dead for at least a week when I heard this. The conversation was about a family that had lost many family members.

When people die, I always wonder why, for what reason, or whether I could have helped them. Through the years, the Lord has brought other occurrences such as these to my attention.

Bernie Mac (Bernard Jeffrey McCullough) died on August 9, 2008. The same day, Isaac Hayes was quoted by a newspaper as saying, “What’s going on with all these brothers dying around here?” The next day, August 10, 2008, he died, and at the time of his death, the cause was not to be found.

In 1999, my church family visited another church, as we occasionally did. The service was for a Women’s Day program. After the female speaker delivered her message that day, one of the leading men of the church spoke. He insulted the speaker and every other woman in the building. I thought, *How can he speak to us in this manner and no one says anything?

The church had experienced the deaths of several male members within a short period of time. Days later, after the Women’s Day program, one of the men who was also a member there said, “What’s going on with all these brothers dying around here?” The next day, he died like the others.

“THE WORDS WERE SPOKEN WITHOUT COMPASSION”

At that time, I worked as a Transportation Officer for the County Jail. I would see many people I knew coming in and out of jail. One day while transporting inmates, I was talking to an inmate who said she was looking for a new church. She said she had just left the church mentioned above, and I asked why. At that point, she stopped talking. I knew why.

When my youngest daughter was seven or eight years old, we attended a church meeting one weekend night. After singing, the church choir left the choir stand and exited through the side door near the front. One of the male choir members came around the building and looked through the side door near the back. He was looking toward the front and raised his eyebrows before stepped back out.

I know this because I was sitting in the first seat nearest the back door and couldn’t help but notice him gazing in.

It was well known that this man was living an alternate lifestyle. Not five minutes later, the pastor announced that one of the choir members was having a health emergency and that an ambulance had been called. We were instructed to stay inside.

I knew he was already dead because the Lord told me he was dead before his head hit the ground. I didn’t say a word. Why take a chance on going home early—or possibly not going to heaven at all?

It’s time to start watching over our souls. God will not tolerate disrespect in His house—the house of God.

Many more people are going to die, and the walls of hell are expanding now, making room for who?

Before we left the church service, we were told that he was dead on arrival at the hospital, which was true.

I said all of that to say this:    Who can tame the tongue?

“Set a guard over my mouth, Lord;

keep watch over the door of my lips.” — Psalm 141:3

Until next time.