Who Alex was!

On President’s Day of 2008, I awoke from a dream.  A very comforting dream, if I had to describe it.  I dreamed that Eddie, Alex and I were in a hospital room.  The Doctor had just left from telling us that Alex’s Aorta Valve had ruptured and there was nothing that they could do.  The doctor’s advice to us was to take him home and spend as much quality time with him as we could.  No words were spoken.  I walked over to him and put my arms around him and hugged him as hard as I could.  I woke up.

It was such a real dream.  I felt his heart beat.  I felt him breathe and then I woke up.  I thought to myself, “Lord, it only lasted for just a few seconds.  Why couldn’t you just let it last a little longer?”  I got up and was crying heavily.  I did not know what to do.  Then I thought about getting my laptop and pulling up his email.  But then I remembered, I do not remember his password.  I still proceeded and as I typed in his user name, I remembered what his password was.  I pulled up his email.  He had 800+ emails.  Most was junk mail.  I cleaned all of it up. 

I still felt as though I needed to find more bread crumbs.  I needed something to bring me out of this depression that I found myself going in to.  So, I continued searching.  I ran across this one email that was special to me.  It was an email to someone that he had met previously.  It was a gentleman by the name of Jeramy Smith.  Alex had emailed him to see how he was doing and to thank him for leading him to the Christ during a Y-Club Conference.  Now that made me a bit confused.  Because, I remembered Alex asking me so many questions about being saved several years before that, and eventually he got saved and baptized.  Anyway, Alex emailed Jeramy for a little over a year, until a few weeks before he passed away.

Well, I thought that I really needed to contact this guy and let him know about Alex.  So, I did.  I emailed him from Alex’ email and told him who I was and then I told him of what happened to Alex.  And I questioned him about the email that Alex had sent him, of leading him to Christ.  Jeramy quickly responded back that Alex had rededicated his life that night.  He told me after Alex rededicated his life to the Lord, that he began crying and told him that he felt like he needed to do something but didn’t know what to do.  Jeramy told Alex to go back to Douglas, Ga. and share Jesus Christ with people.  Alex told him that he would do that, and he kept his word.

Alex enjoyed sharing Jesus with others.  It didn’t matter what denomination, what religious beliefs that people had, or even what color they were.  Everyone has an equal opportunity to have Jesus Christ shared with them.  He loved everyone just as Jesus does.

After speaking with Jeramy, I shared the story of him and Alex with others at my church.  One of our close friends from church suggested that I ask him to come and speak to our youth.  I thought that was a wonderful idea.  So I called Jeramy and asked him.  Without hesitation, he suggested March 5, 2008.  We all agreed and made preparations for him.  I could not wait to meet him.  It was like having a part of Alex back.  He called when he got in town.  Eddie gave him directions to his office.  Shortly after, Eddie had him to follow him to the motel.  On the way to the motel Eddie called me and was so excited.  He said, “Nancy, you are not going to believe this.  This is so Alex.  This is what Alex was all about.”  It was killing me.  I kept asking, “What?”  Then he said, “He’s black.”  I got chills all over.  I got so excited.  I began to cry.  I met Jeramy a little while later at dinner.  When I met him, I made him stand up so that I could give him a huge hug.  The three of us had a wonderful conversation at dinner.  When we got to church he connected so well with our youth.  There was game time.  Then there was the time for the message.

At the end of the message he held time for an invitation.  Ladies and Gentlemen, we had four youth to rededicate their lives that night.  Why do people make the color of one’s skin such an issue?  God is not going to judge us by what we look like.  Do we really know what He looks like?  Some think they do.  It is what is inside the heart that matters.  Is your heart right with the Lord?

This young man was such a spiritual influence to our son.  He encouraged our son.  He led our son to rededication.  He encouraged our son’s faith to grow stronger in the Lord.  He told me that Alex was a light in his life.

People, why can we not treat each other as equal.  Why can’t people of different race encourage one another?  Focus on what’s important in life.  The love of Christ!  God!

Sincerely,

Nancy