Lessons Learned From a Visit to a Country Graveyar

The Poca Hollow cemetery 

"It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, because that is the end of every man, and the living takes {it} to heart. Sorrow is better than laughter, for when a face is sad a heart may be happy. The mind of the wise is in the house of mourning, while the mind of fools is in the house of pleasure." (Ecclesiastes 7:2-4)

 I visited the Poca Hollow cemetery last month.  My first trip to this hidden little graveyard nestled in the boot heel of Missouri was some thirty years ago, in 1980.  My wife’s clan is from there.  This cemetery overlooks an almost forgotten civil war battlefield. The locals point to the valley where the Yankees came through, then point to some of the old buildings (over their shoulder, behind the picture) that still have civil war bullets in them.  The anonymity is fair enough… except for the family this cemetery is almost forgotten as well.   You don’t just accidentally go there… you have to know where it is and choose to visit it.

Today Poca Hollow is a peaceful place.  As you thoughtfully stroll among the stones, contemplating the human lives represented by each grave, numerous Biblical passages cannot help but come to mind.  The first scripture is obvious….

“For, "ALL FLESH IS LIKE GRASS, AND ALL ITS GLORY LIKE THE FLOWER OF GRASS. THE GRASS WITHERS, AND THE FLOWER FALLS OFF, BUT THE WORD OF THE LORD ENDURES FOREVER." And this is the word which was preached to you.” (I Peter 1:24-25)

Here, the reality of our need for things eternal silently screams its message.  Life is in the end a futile struggle.  Our end will come… then comes the beginning of forever (at least beginning of forever for us).
 

“Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit." Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are {just} a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. Instead, {you ought} to say, "If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that." (James 4:13-15)

I wondered about the lives of the people laid to rest here… I had been watching one particular grave over many years.  On my first trip I “discovered it” under that tree.  Thirty years ago, that tree was not really a tree. It was a huge shrub that had completely engulfed these headstones.  Said shrub concealed the markers from outsiders.  I have no idea

what possessed me to pull back the branches that day, but I did, and I never forgot the impact of the words you see on this stone: "Gone but not forgotten." Here laid the earthly remains of a human being totally forgotten to the outside world.  

His name was Uel.  Thirty years ago I had even misread the name and thought it was a woman named Vel. He is in the section of the graveyard that is clearly for “others.” It is a kind of “over the hill.”  He died at the age of 17 almost a hundred years ago.  Someone once loved him and cared for him.  Someone once vowed that he would never be forgotten… but there he lay underneath a bush in a grave concealed from (and neglected by) all. Do you remember Uel?   Three thousand years ago another man considered the futility of any life that only consisted of the consideration of this world:

"This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that there is one fate for all men. Furthermore, the hearts of the sons of men are full of evil and insanity is in their hearts throughout their lives. Afterwards they {go} to the dead. For whoever is joined with all the living, there is hope; surely a live dog is better than a dead lion. For the living know they will die; but the dead do not know anything, nor have they any longer a reward, for their memory is forgotten. Indeed their love, their hate and their zeal have already perished, and they will no longer have a share in all that is done under the sun." (Ecclesiastes 9:3-6)

Can you tell me of Uel’s love or his hate?  The brutal reality is that the truth of this ancient summation is obvious, is it not?  Whatever he did with those 17 short years at the beginning of the last century has perished to all of us… except God.  Consider the words of the Lord Jesus: 

"Are not five sparrows sold for two cents? {Yet} not one of them is forgotten before God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows. And I say to you, everyone who confesses Me before men, the Son of Man will confess him also before the angels of God; but he who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God.” (Luke 12:6-9)

Uel is remembered by his Creator! Did he confess or deny the Lord Jesus?  Someday we will know the answer to that question... When we are all assembled before the throne, Jesus will either confess or deny Uel.

Not too far from Uel, I ran across some other interesting stones.  This is in the “outsider” section of the graveyard.  I started to crop this picture to focus on the stones and thought better of it.  The angle of this picture tells a story all it’s own.  That is my wife’s family in the background.  She is over where the family members are buried.  I am standing among graves of the outsiders. Now consider the obvious for these “unknowns” of this mountain community.  When were they born, when did they die? Were their remains in a ditch?  Did they die of natural causes?  I have not a clue.  The one thing that is very clear from the picture is that “they” don’t belong.  No one claims them. Today it is too late even to pray for them. I hope for their sakes that they were Christians.

“But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR {God's} OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are THE PEOPLE OF GOD; you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY.” (I Peter 2:9-12)

No one on earth may have been there for them ,but God knows who they are.  Note what may have appeared to be a typo.  God knows who they “are.”  Yes, they “were”… but they also “are!”  They “were” not claimed.  But if they were Christians while on this earth… they are somebody of value.  This life clearly held no mercy for them.  Perhaps the next one will. They rest on a peaceful hillside “away from” everyone.

Even those who are claimed are sometimes lost in the scramble of life.  Here is a “father.”  (At least I think that is what it says!) Whose father? When? Not a clue! No names, no dates, only a reference to one simple aspect of his life.  He was someone’s father. These considerations are important but do not forget that the frailty of humanity is not as hopeless as it first appears.

“Nevertheless, the firm foundation of God stands, having this seal, "The Lord knows those who are His," and, "Everyone who names the name of the Lord is to abstain from wickedness." (I Timothy 2: 19)

Our Lord has forgotten no one!  Who they were and who they are like is known by Him.  It is all written in His book… some day those books will be opened. (Revelation 20:12)  I recalled the words God spoke to Jeremiah while considering all of this….

 "Now the word of the LORD came to me saying,"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, And before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations."" (Jeremiah 1:4-5)

How can we begin to apply all of these musings from a country graveyard?  Look closely at the stone for Preston.  He died 70 years ago.  He made it “in.” At least he is buried in the main part of the cemetery.  Even among those who were claimed and accepted as part of the community, the word of God demands recognition.   Consider the words of the Lord Jesus as you look at this stone:

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:19-2)

Preston’s last earthly possession is this stone.  As noted from the “father” whose stone was pictured earlier… even your head stone isn’t always secure.  Preston’s stone is rapidly covering over with moss.  We choose those stones because they presumably will last “forever.”  But, how do you define forever?

There is a more important possession (or treasure) that must be pursued.  It is in fact eternal.  It doesn’t just claim to be eternal, it is eternal!
 

"Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. {Instruct them} to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is life indeed." (I Timothy 6:17-19)

3000 years ago, a man contemplated these same realities of life.  He came to the same conclusion that I did while contemplating the meaning of life and death:
 

"The dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it. "Vanity of vanities," says the Preacher, "all is vanity!" In addition to being a wise man, the Preacher also taught the people knowledge; and he pondered, searched out and arranged many proverbs. The Preacher sought to find delightful words and to write words of truth correctly. The words of wise men are like goads, and masters of {these} collections are like well-driven nails; they are given by one Shepherd. But beyond this, my son, be warned: the writing of many books is endless, and excessive devotion {to books} is wearying to the body. The conclusion, when all has been heard, {is:} fear God and keep His commandments, because this {applies to} every person. For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil." (Ecclesiastes 12:7-14)

The locals still speak of the time the Yankees came through and upset this “peaceful” valley.  This peaceful cemetery will one day have it’s peace totally shattered. The reality is that God is on His throne.  There is nothing hidden, and there is no one unknown….    Are you ready for the judgment?   This grave will open and this one will bow before the Lord Jesus.   He will either bow as Jesus’ friend or His conquered enemy.  (Philippians 2:10)  Jesus knows him.   The Day the Yankees came will seem as nothing compared to the day when Jesus returns…

 "Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who re in the tombs will hear His voice, and will come forth; those who did the good {deeds} to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil {deeds} to a resurrection of judgment." (John 5:28-29)

Hi I am glad you stopped by our blog. These articles are from an emailing that we did several years ago.   Today most of our work is on facebook

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  Jerry Blount 

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Jerry Blount