We did it for Pearl.

Life can last for minutes, hours, days, weeks, months. Pearl was given sixteen years, until, on her way home from work she was knocked off her bike by a speeding car. just over a week later, on a sunny day with birdsong ringing in the air, Pearl was laid to rest in the local churchyard.

Pearl had been a leading light in the Methodist youth club, a club with a membership of eighty and waiting list of forty. She had also with seventeen others stood one sunday evening to give her life to Christ and was the only one to continue going to the discipleship meetings.

Six of the members, including myself, carried the coffin, that day, and we had no answers, no assurance in our hearts. This girl, young woman, friend to all had gone.

Within weeks the membership was just over twenty and we had no waiting list, such was the impact of Pearls death. At the start of the Autumn ( Fall ) session the committee held a crisis meeting. We came up with about two dozen suggestions, some mad, some bad, and some that were to prove essential in both long and short term, and as a group we laughed for the first time in months.

It took time but the membership grew and once again we had a waiting list. I have often asked the question. Did we do it for God, the club? My answer no. We did it for Pearl. But what was God doing?

Well he was training at least one young lad for the future in leadership, preaching, and communication. Over fifty years later I am so glad for the life of Pearl, so short ,but so effective. That we did something for her not knowing that The Lord was doing something for us. Dave.