The Village

Gurlie Wilson passed away the other day at 85 years old. Brother Dennis and I had the honor of doing the funeral today. She was a long time member of the church before becoming ill and having to be in a nursing home for the past few years. She worked for many years in the mill and lived in the mill village, where she raised three kids. She was faithful to the job, working overtime, faithful to the church, and faithful to her family.
It is easy to dismiss her life as a small life in a small house in a small town in a Southern state. No headlines. No hidden fortune. No scandals. Just a lot of love and home cooked meals. But it was Gurlie Wilson, along with hundreds of others, through their faithfulness to love, serve, worship, and give that built this town, built our church, built this community. She was a giant on who’s shoulders we now stand.

Don’t forget to be grateful for the people who got you here, your parents, teachers, mentors, and friends. And take her life to heart. Let’s all build a life like that.