Celebrating the Life of Mother Doris Sharpe | Funeral Service | 09.18.21

it's a wonderful thing to be in the house of the lord again and here we are to celebrate the life of our dear sister mother grandmother great grandmother doris sharp we thank god for her life for her legacy and truly precious in the sight of the lord is the death of his saints those whom he has called by name to be his and now he has transported her from this life to the life we are all looking forward to by god's grace we're going to get started this morning with a song in the new jerusalem this is a memorial service we're so happy on behalf of the family of mrs sharp our sister sharp we want to thank you all for coming we want you to celebrate with us a life well lived to the glory of god would you stand with me in your programs and also on the screen i believe [Music] in the new jerusalem oh when the toils of life are over and we lay our armor down and we bid farewell to earth will all its cares we shall meet and greet our loved ones and our christ we then shall crown in the new jerusalem they'll be singing they'll be singing there'll be shouting when the saints come watching home it's jerusalem they'll be singing they'll be singing they'll be shouting he's in jerusalem when the last goodbye is spoken and the tear stains wiped away and our eyes shall capture a glimpse of glory fair then with bounding hearts we'll meet him who hath washed our sins away in the new jerusalem they'll be singing they'll be singing [Music] [Music] again is [Applause] [Applause] [Music] come on put your hands together [Music] oh [Applause] is thank you jesus thank you lord you may be seated elder robert sharp is coming with our opening remarks and to pray [Music] praise the lord and good morning i'm here this morning [Music] to celebrate the life of my mom along with my siblings all the grandchildren great-grandchildren friends well-wishers and everyone my mom for 93 years [Applause] a woman who god has been gracious to for all those 93 years i've never visited her in the hospital she's never sick because we did a number on her and what can we say this is her time so god has kept her and i'm so grateful the many times we spend together as a little boy all you grandchildren the times you spend with with her those puddings and curry chicken and oxtail and all the things we have enjoyed over the years i am grateful for her life so as we're here to celebrate today we thank everyone who has come to just be with us pastors mother steward all your elders praise singers or a distinguished musician brother kirby there's so man and everybody it's a pleasure to be here this morning i know her body is not here but there's a photo of her that you can see what she look like for those of you who have not met her so as we go today we just want to celebrate and just celebrate our long life god has given us an extra 23 years we don't know how many of us gonna make that time but just welcome you this morning and this hope that we'll have a beautiful service as we have those tributes and song and just have a time of celebration today thank you can we stand as we have the opening prayer lord i want to thank you this morning for my mom thank you that you have kept her all these years accidents dangers she has traveled so many places over the world you have kept her [Music] serve her community serve her husband first lady of her little church done in priority all these years hallelujah she has blessed the family she has provided meals encouragement and just be a source of inspiration to a lot of people to all those grandchildren to myself my other siblings so lord as she's gone home to be with you we want to thank you that you have kept her for all these years and as she reunited with her husband and i hope you get to meet ava as they celebrate in heaven we want to thank you i know you have the opportunity to tell them even though that we love and appreciate her we know we can communicate with the dead but you can tell her we love her and we appreciate her and we're having a service for her right now be with us today pray for the word that will go forth the songs and tributes and everything that will go forth that will leave us blessed and we can leave from here rejoicing we ask this in the name of jesus amen you may be seated we will have two scripture readings an old testament reading and a new testament reading the old testament reading will be done by sister brenda miller and the new testament reading following will be done by sister janice mcfarland good morning and praise the lord to all the family and friends who are here my name is brenda miller and i'm the granddaughter of doris sharp by way of robert sharp and my fondest memories of my grandmother is that she was a quiet industrious and actually a very loving lady when we were all grandchildren when we were younger we pile over into her modest home and come suppertime i remember she would present us with a nice slice of heart or bread with a nice daub of anchor butter along with a warm enamel mug of milo for my children that's enamel and those fond memories reminded me of what a kind loving but also very sharp lady she was even without formal education i think it became clear to many of us that my grandmother was quietly brilliant and i think if given the chance to explore that she would have been an amazing lady not that she wasn't she was but more than anything my grandmother loved the lord and i rejoiced today that she is now with him so this morning it's fitting that we read the memory uh this psalm in her memory it's a psalm of ascent that celebrates and reveres the lord psalm 46 god is our refuge and strength a very present help in trouble therefore will not we fear though the earth be removed and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea though the waters thereof roar and be troubled though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof there is a river the streams whereof shall make glad the city of god the holy place of the tabernacles of the most high god is in the midst of her she shall not be moved god shall help her and that right early the heathen raged the kingdoms were moved he uttered his voice the earth melted the lord of hosts is with us the god of jacob is our refuge so come behold the works of the lord what desolations he hath made of the earth he maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth he break at the bow and cut at the spear in sunder he burn at the chariot in the fire be still and know that i am god i will be exalted among the heathen i will be exalted in the earth today the lord of hosts is with us the god of jacob is our refuge [Music] well good morning and praise the lord everyone i know we can do better than that this one come on somebody let's praise god morning praise god you know i feel good this morning i sit at this sit there and i'm looking at the picture of my grandma i remember that exact day we took that picture and she turned to me and she said you're too fussy miss yoona you're too fussy and i turn to her that's where that smile came from i said i took it just from you grandma mama i'm just like you believe it or not so i'm reminded this morning and i'm resting the assurance that she's in a better place so this morning we can praise god a little bit better than that praise god hallelujah i'm here to read the second scripture this morning and i'll be reading from first corinthians 15 from verses 50 to 58. now this i say brethren that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of god neither dothra neither does corruption inherit in corruption behold i show you a mystery we shall not all sleep but we shall all be changed in a moment in the twinkling of an eye at the last trump for the trumpet shall sound and the dead shall be raised incorruptible and we shall be changed for this corruptable must put on in corruption and this mortal must put on immortality so when this corruptable shall put shall have put on incorruption and this mortal shall have put on immortality then shall be brought to pass the same that is written debt is swallowed up in victory o death where his thy sting o grave where is thy victory the sting of death is sin and the strength of sin is the law but thanks be to god which giveth us the victory through our lord jesus christ therefore my brethren my beloved brethren be steadfast unmovable always abounding in the work of the lord for as much as he know that your labor is not in vain in the lord here ends the reading of god's only word god bless you all [Music] we're singing an old song that i believe represents the kind of song that sister sharp not only sing but love and that would represent her desire and her devotion to the god that she loves sing with us if you know deeper in thy love oh jesus [Music] doth my spirit cry to go on till all my life is he then deep within the cleansing flow [Music] until i'm lost god [Music] this earthly [Music] i seek to please him whether it brings joy or pain i shall know then just how blessing god is the worth of heavenly king [Music] hidden with my blessings deeper till at last in glory [Music] in his likeness i shall come [Music] where the saints of all the h's shall receive they're welcome home sing with me deeper deeper with christ and god [Music] [Music] yes i am [Music] oh [Music] [Applause] would you just lift your hand and let's just praise the lord for just a moment hallelujah [Music] amen daughter-in-law barbara sharp is coming at this time and she will also give the tribute for calvary tabernacle united pentecostal church from saint anne jamaica [Music] [Music] hello again dear mother has asked for help reading and so i will read the tribute to the life of the late doris sharp from calvary tabernacle united pentecostal church in saint anne's bay my grandmother and grandfather under the pastorship of pastor gallimore and then later pastor gail were faithful members of that congregation to be faithful leaders and servants of god we are called upon to value excellence making it our lifestyle remain committed to what really matters go the second an extra mile demonstrate consistency never stop improving not settling for average display integrity and sound ethics and show genuine respect for others sister doris sharp affectionately known to many as sister sharpie or sister doodoo was a gentle giant this woman of substance whom god endowed with strength and the fortitude to stand beside the late prophet and bible teacher pastor rupert sharp as head of the church in priory saint and jamaica made her way into the annals of history as one who purposefully served and stood up for what she believed calvary tabernacle like the church in priory benefited immensely from the roles they played in the kingdom of god on behalf of pastor barrington gale and the saints of calvary tabernacle we can truly attest to the fact that it is comforting to know that she passed this way and impacted our lives in positive ways she enjoyed god's presence god's protection god's peace god's perspective god's provision and god's power because she and her husband chose to be faithful here we speak of servants who poured into people for the growth and development of god's kingdom after the passing of pastor sharp she left our shores to be closer to her family but knowing that it takes a minute to find a special person an hour to appreciate them but a lifetime to forget sister doris remained close to our hearts for the blood bought like sister sharp it is a fact that death hath no terrorists for the blood bought one o glory hallelujah to the lamb and precious in the sight of the lord is the death of his saints we are not grieving as others because she shed her mortal body for an immortal one laid down her armor yielded her torch and a crown of life awaits her never more to neither feel pain or endure hardships this pilgrim has gone home to receive a just reward a crown of righteousness from the canyons of her relationship with god echo the strains of a life well-lived she demonstrated that where faith is there is fortitude steadfastness and strength for a child of god whatever god does is does is done well her house of clay was bought a prison she has been released she was a giant on her knees a trophy and a testimony to the power of prayer what a legacy may her soul rest in peace and light perpetually shine on her from calvary tabernacle united pentecostal church in saint anne's bay jamaica [Music] [Applause] thank you sister [Music] praise the lord everyone praise the lord i will be reading the tribute for the late sister sharp from the north beulah upc church in jamaica prairie center blessed are the dead which die in the lord from henceforth ye said the spirit that they may rest from their labors and their works do follow them revelation 14 13. sister dary sharp was not a person who would like to be in the spotlight or who wanted to be in the forefront but preferred to work behind the scenes on the other hand she impacted our lives tremendously at north beulah upc where her husband who pre pre-deceased her was the pastor it was her dedication to him sacrifice and compromise which aided the success of this ministry as one of the elder women of the church she impacted the younger woman by demonstrating how a wife should love and care for her husband and now to adorn themselves modestly as children of god sister sharp was a faithful worker in the vineyard who was always ready to do what was requested of her she labored in the women's fellowship department where she sold various items to make profit as a means of fundraising for the department among many other things she is remembered as one who would ensure that the house of the lord was clean and prepared for sunday services she didn't give the orders but actually performed the task even when in old age we will always have precious memories of her singing the songs of zion as she led the testimony segment of the services while playing her tambourine and dancing in the spirit sister sharp loved the lord and always expressed their desire to make the run successful from the cradle to the grave she lived with the expectation to depart this life knowing well that she had the glorious hope of eternal life it pleased the lord to call her home as humans we grieve with the bereaved family and relatives but rejoice in knowing that she made her calling and election sure may her soul rest in peace amen and now i will give my tribute to my mother-in-law i have been blessed to have some wonderful women in my life three of whom muttered me at various times during my developmental years i learned from my mother how to love god and to love people from mrs gladys dell how to love learning without becoming an intellectual arrogant person and i learned from mrs sharp my mother-in-law how to serve god her husband and her family when i joined the sharps family i quickly realized that this short quiet lady was a powerhouse in her own humble way it didn't take me long to understand that granddaddy was the law and grandma was the order law and order whatever granddaddy said she judiciously am i saying that right laurie executed by the letter she was fiercely devoted to her husband and stood behind him and supported him so that he could preach the gospel and transport church people all over the island she was satisfied serving him faithfully and never sought the limelight like others have said she was a worshiper and she would sing she would have a song for every situation i have anchored my soul in the haven of rest is what i remember and what i seen today mr sharp was also a good cook and a good home keeper i was forced to re-examine my own understanding of washington cooking when i encountered my mother-in-law see when i left my home to live with the dells they had a helper and we had a washing machine even back then dinner was prepared for you and you were invited to the table when the dinner was ready you only had were responsible for your personal items for watching but mr sharp's idea of washing was a whole day four stage process sometimes even five it was the soaking first then washing then putting on the sink in the sun and should you say bob shark the work clothes must go out in the sun then she would have a second wash and then rinse and that water would run under that pipe for until every sun was out of that wash basin that was intimidating for me thank god for modern inventions dinner was another story she would have everything prepared and each item would be in its own container well we used to call them dish back then waiting for robbie to come home for dinner and usually covered over with a tablecloth to this day my husband still prefer to come home and find his dinner on the table covered over with a white tablecloth just like his mother i gently remind him of the differences but nonetheless so a few years ago i made sure when i checked my tablecloths i said oh this one didn't look like sharp it's difficult so i went out and i got one looking like sharpie and on special occasion i do cover over with the white tablecloth mr sharp was content and happy to be yourself and their service to god and in serving others she was a titus 2 and a proverbs 31 woman wrapped up in her small little frame she was not afraid to rise early in the morning and to work hard for her family by her life example which states all the women teach the young women to be sober to love their husband and their children to be discreet chase keepers of good homes obedient to their husband that the word of god may not be blasphemy grandma you did well in this area it is said that of all the relationships we have with families the most special and complex months to be formed are those with mother-in-law the bond i have developed with my mother-in-law what made my spiritual life and my marriage stronger our relations started out like most i was trying to figure out and i guess she was trying to do the same but i could tell when the relationship begin to grow and change by the way my name would change i started out as barbara then mr shaw followed by miss babs and later sharp i we grew to love and respect each other as two women fulfilling their individual roles i learned to care for my tony the way she cared for her robbie you see her tony is special he was the one son the only son and she never hesitated to reference them that way especially when she called from jamaica because he was the one son another name was added to my list of names indicating that the relationship had grown yet another level and i became my one and only daughter-in-law the journey from being a young 16-year-old bride a new pentecostal convert and a young mother could have been extremely different without godly examples and the demonstration of christian living the example set by my mother-in-law the life that she lived and the way she raised her son changed the course of my life and has formed the foundation on which my children and grandchildren will stand it is now 48 years since she welcomed me to the family shall we and it was a delight [Music] to be a part and to share in the rich legacy early morning prayer waking me up even when i didn't want to get up to come for prayer still lives on [Music] i was even more thrilled when you called me your one and only daughter-in-law like the story of ruth and naomi another mother in law and daughter-in-law journeyed through life and then encountered some challenge along the way but rude concluded and treat me not to leave thee not to return from falling after thee for where thou goest i will go where the largest i will launch thy people will be my people and thy god my god so michelle grandma sharp i thank you thank you for the life that you live heaven is sounding sweeter because of women like you your people have become my people and your god certainly become my god rest in peace sharp i i will see you in the rapture some sweet day god bless [Applause] [Music] thank you so much mr sharp and at this time we will have gospel light apostolic church from west palm beach they'll be sharing a video tribute from their members with us at this time [Music] i i remember mother sharp because we always used to know her husband he was a deacon in our church and i remember the sunday night when my mom says this is sister shark this is the wife of mr shark he was speaking and i just grew up viewing her as a wonderful lady the lord and in the last few years when she was living in the states she became a member of our church and her presence was always such a peaceful glorious she was quiet i guess her eighth day of creating a lot of excitement was all gone and now she had golden years where she was just sharing the presence of god with us it was such an honor to have her in service and i'm sure somebody else will talk about this but that sunday morning when she was asked by her pastor to testify and she sang that beautiful song that must have been the theme of her heart and when she said heaven sounding sweeter all the time it made such an impact on our service exchange entire atmosphere and that is how i remember mother shark as someone who had gotten to this stage [Music] [Music] her home before her husband passed away as a song that he used to love it was number 60 in the pentecostal hymnal and it says christ will be [Music] on behalf of the lewis and the warrens family i just want to pay my deepest you look away across the sea where mansions are prepared for you and view the shining gloom heaven your home forevermore it is with a heart of sadness i say goodbye to mother shah as we affectionately call her by me by the time that i knew you it was short but in that time but in that time i was captivated by your smile your smile lit up the place in it was love not only you my love but the love of god was still in your presence so sleep on my beloved and take care of us you are in a better place and if we be faithful we will meet you [Music] i didn't know mother shark on a personal level but i knew she had a wonderful granddaughters who would bring her to church and i remember her as she always came into church when she did come she came in with a big smile she would always brighten up my day when i would see her in church she was such a gentle soul even when she was struggling she would overcome it and found and i found her to be inspiring she loved cubs and we were all too happy to give them to her mother shark is our church mother and she will be missed greatly may rest in peace brother shark god bless you mother shark i didn't know her for a long [Music] but time was a wonderful woman of god as um i remember when you would cast her in the aisle she's stretching their hands just to help you or just shake your hands you know just to say something nice another head our smile that beautiful smile that she had just made the the place of you know you feel the love that she had even when she don't stay and i go back she's looking at you and smiling makes you feel the love of god that that's in her you [Music] we miss you we love you we adore you and we will see you again by the grace of god take yours in jesus name gospel life [Music] [Music] she he passed a creature of love i i always say this lady supposed to look for her faster because she [Music] has energy but even what she [Music] [Music] [Music] to see this little queue literally just sitting there you know ready as everyone was thinking to give you a hobby and i was curious who was this lady until i heard a presence calling her mother i didn't only because of her attitude towards people why they call her mother she's just always nothing always and she's just she's beautiful while doing so so let me say until you meet again those special memories of you will always bring a smile if only we could have you back just for a little while then we could sit and talk again just like we used to do we always you always meant so very much to us and always we always do the fact that your brother here will always fall into spain but you're forever in our heart until we meet again sleep or not shark we love you praise god i haven't personally met mother shark but as i sit here and listen to all the tributes attributed to her i can truly say that the woman of god who ruled well is worthy of double honor i can say she is not only left a mark or an impact on the gla family but she is left an endeavor mark to society sleep one mother shark love you greets all the family countlessly mother shah i'm here to give a tribute to mother shark a woman that loves everyone a woman that loves the lord a woman that loves the things of god i love her i will remember when she comes to church every sunday morning and i'm with husher she would hold me and pull my head down to her and give me a smack on the cheek and say i love you you are an inspiration to me for the time that i know you you show me love i receive love from you you're gone but not forgotten and if i do the will of god in one day i hope to see you love you mother shall miss you rest in the arms [Music] [Music] we're so grateful for those beautiful tributes from gospel light apostolic church in west palm beach um for the last few months maybe a couple years of sister sharp's life um she spent time with those folks under the leadership of pastor rosaline rosalina mattos and we give god thanks for them being so kind and gracious and generous to her in the last years of her life they also wanted to give a song as a tribute and as it would happen um they've asked well someone was supposed to lead the song but i'm gonna have to lead it and it's a song much older than what i'm familiar with i wish bishop were up here to help me with this song but some reason he's down there it's called i've pitched my tent in beulah land my mother might know it too huh but i'm gonna attempt and you all help me out okay would you stand with me i've pitched my tent in puella land it's in your programs you're gonna sing it along with me we're gonna worship god together because her home was not here it was above where she is now well i long ago left egypt for the promised land i trusted in my savior and to his guiding hand he led me out to victory through the great red sea i sang a song of triumph and shouted i am free you need not look for me [Music] [Applause] [Music] you need [Music] i did not halt or tremble for cain and i was bound my god i fully trusted and he led me in i shouted hallelujah my heart is free from sin come on sing it down for i have pinched my ted far up and down the grapes of s called found with milk and honey flowing and new i'm so free i have no love for egypt it has no charms for me you need not look for me [Applause] and my heart is so enraptured as i press along each day i find new blessings which fill my heart with song i'm ever marching onward to that land on high someday i'll reach my mansion that's building in the sky you need not look for me well down in egypt [Applause] one more time for me amen you may be seated at this time rihanna morrison is coming with a liturgical dance oh [Music] oh [Music] is [Music] to be surrounded jesus [Music] i could only imagine [Music] [Music] is [Music] foreign [Music] [Music] to my knees [Music] to be surrounded [Music] is [Music] can you only imagine if we don't have any words to say we can't [Music] is [Music] [Music] [Music] to hear you see [Music] [Music] i can only imagine [Music] i could hold imagine [Applause] thank you so much so many of us think we know but truly we can only imagine and thank god for his word which helps us in understanding what we have to look forward to but even with all of that all we can do is imagine to be in god's presence for all eternity we're entering into a time of reflection and we'll start with the great grandchildren i'm going to invite them to come as ray wilson jr will give a tribute all of the great grandchildren [Music] [Music] [Music] and this is not all of them and here they represent hello everybody um for my great-grandma many stories from i mean i was from as far back as i can remember um going to jamaica going to our house i mean all of us can attest you know grandma had everything yeah i mean it seemed like it food bag juice any snacks you wanted and one story that i have in particular that i'll never forget is when she cooked me the best egg i've ever had in my life she asked me if i was hungry and if you know me yes i can eat and i of course said yes and she said you want an egg i said yes and i wasn't too excited because i'm so used to regular eggs um but she got me a fresh egg from the you know chicken coop and i watched her and i was a little confused you know i was like i don't know how this is going to taste but then i ate it and my eyes lit up and you know it's just everything that she ever gave me you know from food to knowledge to just her smile um it's comforting and it was never a time when i seen her where she was down it was always you know positive and you know i just want to say thank you for everything that you've given me you know is priceless honestly foundation for god and you know how to live and how to be a good person so on behalf of the grandkids thank you grandma [Applause] thank you all and if you would put your attention toward the screen there's a nice slideshow of all of the great grandchildren that's being shown now thank you all [Applause] so [Music] so at this time i'm going to ask the grandchildren i'm going to ask adrian moodry and also lashon ramsey come to give a tribute on behalf of the grandchildren and then they will invite the grandchildren to come forward [Music] good morning my name is adrienne mckenzie and i am the granddaughter of doris sharpe known to me as mama or miss dodo today on behalf of all the grandchildren both here in jamaica my cousin wayney in canada and across the u.s i want to pay tribute to a woman who by example taught us much for those of you who may not know i spent my formative years with my grandparents many of us did living with them in the small house and priory i lived with them until age five when i joined my mother and stepfather in toronto my memories of my grandmother from that early age are largely sensory a nebulous collection of sounds her laughter her singing familiar smells of her kitchen and talcum powder the snippets of fading and vivid images that bring alive the feeling i had in her presence as a young child the feeling of being loved and feeling safe i remember sitting on granddaddy's stool box under the kitchen table to me the safest place in the world i was perhaps four or five years old and i would read a book look out the doorway intermittently as i watched and listened to mama who hummed a song and washed and stacked what seemed like a million plastic cups at the sink after all her grandchildren had eaten and disappeared i remember watching her as she swept and raked her stony yard in the early morning listening to the long scratching sounds as she drew the rake across the hardened surface the short jingle of her shop keys in her pocket at the end of each stroke i remember how she cooled my morning chocolate tea watching as she rhythmically poured the steaming liquid expertly from cup to pup forming a beautiful brown cascade before handing the cup to me with the tender words mind baby don't let it burn you i recall staggering to her small bedroom of what seemed like midnight dressed in a thin nightgown restless and teary-eyed from the night's heat only to hear her say lie down lie down as she helped me up onto the cool of her sheets where she fanned and fanned me with a piece of old cardboard until i fell into a blissful slumber i remember watching her wipe her hands on her house dress feel for her bundle of keys in her housecoat dawn those broken down slippers she kept on the steps only halfway she only wore them halfway to head up to her shop where she would weigh out a pound or two of flour from her small shop after a waiting customer had called out miss dudu miss doodle these are the memories of my grandmother not a film reel full of memories but a kaleidoscope of disjointed but beautiful moments some might ask well what did your grammar accomplish in her life did she write any great works travel the world in search of self did she invent anything of consequence or amass a large fortune and my answer is simply no she did not so what did she do my grandmother made a small finite house large in her home there was always room to welcome one more in mama's house there was always enough to share regardless of the size of the pot my grandmother spent much of her life tending to and caring for grandchildren often for years at a time she mothered grandchildren filled in when others would or could not where others might have seen dead ends and bleak futures in the busy country house overflowing with grandchildren she saw the wide eyes in their wide eyes hope a future possibilities and purpose whatever aspirations she might have had for herself she buried what were they i never had the courage to ask she did not close her small shop and leave to expand her business for the opportunities in saint anne's bay she did not pack her bags in search of what the world had to offer she stayed in order to nurture and tend to the hopes the aspirations and the dreams she saw in the grandchildren left in her care why because she knew regardless of how each one of us entered the world that we were a blessing and made in the image of the creator she knew when her oil ran low that he would provide she understood the value of serving the least of a month at least among us and that's what we were so ask me again what did my grandmother accomplish in her lifetime look around this room we are here because she stayed to cool the chocolate to fan away the sandman and to sell one more pound of flour for our benefit and so much more so mama on behalf of all of your grandchildren here in this room and beyond we say thank you thank you for your sacrifice for caring for us thank you for opening your home and heart to us thank you for praying for us unceasingly for recognizing our worth and believing in us often when others around us did not we are thankful that you stayed that you grew where you were planted and in so doing nurtured and gave us room to bloom rest in peace we love you mama [Applause] good morning everyone god is good well today we're here on a you know a day to celebrate a marvelous woman an inspirational woman a woman that'll break her back for anyone here that one more is marvelous she's so different i can just see her right now smiling with her her blue eyes right now miss doodles what they call her my granny is what i call her i just never thought this day was what's possible i love that woman with everything it's just kind of hard to uh look at it from a different angle but uh honestly i just wanted to say this mommy thank you for holding her on for so long keeping her trident you know everyone else i'm glad you guys did whatever y'all could do to keep her going 93 93 94 years that's a long time treading but we're on the day to celebrate her and the glorifier to make sure that she knows that we love her all dearly i just wanted to say grammy miss doris miss sharp i love you dearly we miss you i know you're happy with grandfather that's really all i wanted to say today just to finally get it out thankful for everybody to see you guys here you guys are truly blessed so are we so is she amen [Applause] thank you and at this time we're going to invite sister sharp's children to come forward and give their tribute led by our own elder robert first this well good morning everyone when the morning still morning afternoon whatever time it is you kind of get lost track of time but whatever it is we know that we are here and we know we're present and we just thank the lord for being with us and for keeping us and i just want to say i know my mom has gone to glory and you don't miss her but i just comfort myself by saying the lord has blessed us with wonderful appearance lovely mother that we have had for 23 years 93 years and for that i am just blessed and thankful to have had her for all these years and she has been so good to all of us but i am thankful that she was also good in helping with my three children that i've had sometimes when things were not going so good she fill in the blacks and i really do miss that she's not around but i just look back on those wonderful ears and said we are blessed to have had good parents who have made sacrifices so that we are here today to celebrate her and what she has offered to us so i just want to say mama for all the good things you've done for all the comforting words i do thank you so i just want to say not anymore but to give this phone to the microphone to the rest a lot of you don't know my oldest sister made this maybe you're the first one mother i want to tell you that i love you and i miss you and for all you have done for my children when i leave jamaica to this country you were there for them i miss your mother i will see you soon bye good evening good afternoon or good morning whatever time it is i am the smallest of five kids my mom she stayed with me and she would say miss harp or mama harp or whatever she will call me mother i can't find words to express the type of mother i wouldn't trade her for anything she was always there my mother is the mother no matter what it is she always going to see the glass full her word would say miss heart don't worry yourself tomorrow is another day and it's going to be a better day no matter what it is she's a woman of great faith she's not a person that has a lot of words but her words will stand wide and far mom i'm gonna miss you and i missed you because you were with me i could see your last breath that you took but i can say god bless you for everything that you have done for each and every one of us if we are to start to tell we wouldn't be here tomorrow the next day and the next day because she has so much that we're grateful for and thank you guys for coming and mom rest in peace you're close to daddy because that's all really wanted to be and i can say 93 years is a lot never been to a hospital into a hospital bed never have a surgery absolutely so i said mom you are more than blessed thank you guys we want to say thanks to united pentecostal church worldwide for the tremendous job they have done to mother sharp and pastor sharp over the years and all the members of the church and worldwide we want to say thank you to our family for the great job you have done to the fatherless we're here and for nine months she carried us it was no charge for the many times she sent us a score he's no charge every sunday morning we would wake up to praying meeting and we never got any charges she sent it to school she provided for us she provided for her father she went to work she kept the feed she was a missionary in all the world but today she has to be have a crown and a star in her crown we want to thank everybody for coming and for the many things that you have done but what mom has done for everybody i know he can't be recommended for the great job she has done in her lifetime well every sunday morning we have prior meeting and every sunday afternoon we would go to sunday school and every day we will go to school granddad and mom provided for us and provided for the family of the church and has been a missionary and the great work she has done in our lifetime so for 93 years will amount to nothing to be in heaven to be with god may the lord bless you for your kindness and your patience and for all the family members what they have done we say thank you very much [Applause] praise god i guess i'm the one son it's my turn a lot has happened over 93 years when my mom came into the world here in my little district there was no electricity there was one radio station not a lot to see but she she oversee oversaw a big operation before i do i want to just just thank pastor thank you sir for hosting this service um ladies steward and all the folks of this church i want to thank you sister rosa for taking care of her in in her latter years thanks yuna because she was the one who lived close by and was able to take her to her assembly and um i i'm very grateful um all these nurses first of all i want to give the gracious tribute to hapa she's the one she stayed with both my dad and her when they moved to this country it wasn't easy i couldn't do it i know it wasn't easy but thank god for all the nurses mavis and ruth and everyone who pitched in god i guess can't even stop to name all of them adrian laurie brenda janelle mavis and in the early years george he was there took my mom a lot of place my dad sometime whenever my dad was sick and had to be in the hospital for a shot while he went to sit with him when i couldn't go so i just want to thank all of you grandchildren you're always there the parties and those things that happen cassidy you had to put up with it and and lashon because she was living with me they all were in the house so they had to see her and had to see the everyday situation i was at my house that wasn't there so guys we thank you for for that contribution that was lovely my mom started out with my darling prairie it was said that my mom became his wife kind of after a broken relationship kind of my i think my dad was in love with another woman at the time but as a cool man in jamaica he didn't have no respect so she tried to engage that woman and i don't know i don't know if you know what's the cooling man cool man if you're from the indian descent so he said they didn't want that lady she's a beautiful lady i happened to meet her and so that's how my mother came into the picture and for all these years over 65 years she she nurtured that man um helped him she became the first lady of the little church in prairie and encourage her faithful wife for over 65 years ah god no electricity so she had to make do with everything the daughter of james brown and ivy williams i don't think both of those people could read no none of them could read granny couldn't read my my granny couldn't read james could just do a little bit cash but not much so that was a recipe for disaster my mom shouldn't have the accolades that have been given to her today she was supposed to be a nobody but look at god lady jay [Applause] hallelujah can any good thing come with the prairie yes uh yes yes how did she do it one of the first things she did was with us rude topper all myself we took it all took ourselves from our regular school of primary school and with just a little bit of money senator prep school that was a change in her life we were able to expose and rub shoulder with with the little little children i mean that didn't have much sense it was stupid kamota prairie is like coming from low the bar god but god so we got a little school in there she had no diploma i think somebody said that my mom was an avid reader not much but when i look back i was just thinking this way what could i say about my mom um when i look at the little house that we all grew up in and all these children maybe children i wonder how did we fit let me give you a little brief description in my yard we had a big pen we had a gold pen we had a full pen we have an outside toilet we have an outside bathroom the kitchen was outside and we have a wash area i mean we're so spoiled today you know how we wash plate back then you wash up the plate and you put it on a zinc on the outside your plate and your parts everything was left outside we didn't we didn't have kitchen we you have cupboards and stuff that's where we're coming from no i i grew up in that time there's no i used to wash the plate and leave it on the zinc outside and in the morning you need a cup that's where you go get it when you have no washing machine we have the we usually call it the crown board we got a scrub board a crown boy we gotta call the crown board but you know what i'm talking about fridays i have to take off to school to go to bush to get a piece of pimento wood to do the backing for the iron because my mom usually have those little iron you put in there yep it was the easy life but we we came up and my mom supervised all of that how did she do it i've never visited my mom in the hospital i would never visit her at a wrong bar right i've never got she's never been into jail i never go to the jailhouse to go look for her my mom was special she was just a homemaker right so if you oversee the pig farm i mean we had a whole lot of pigs i have 30 heads of goat at one time but as the one zone i get to do all that heavy lifting get up in the morning and i have to go tire the goat i had to feed it the pig come home in the evening i had to look old breadfruit cut it up and bananas peel and boil the pig feed is where we're coming from every evening we come from school i had to greet in the early days may have sent us 25 coconut i was good at breaking coconut man i could i could grate 25 coconut at full speed didn't get caught because she she used to sell coconut oil so we had to get the coconut ready and learn all that process i wanted to do it before she died i said let me get some coconut and we'll do it all over again just to to bring back those memories of what what we went through and in that little little yard in that little space my father was a tintsmith he used to make measuring cans and party pan and all that stuff i had to learn all of that stuff i was i could make party pan like nothing and make measuring can funnels everything so we had a little space for that and he used to repair radiators and stuff for cars i had to learn how to do that so all i had was i go back and i look on the little space bastard you know that little space i don't know how some of those things hold in that one yard a pig pen a goat pen a cup pen everything is there but mama supervised all that little operation and keep it going all these years she did good i forgot to tell you we have a little games era too where we play cricket and our marble how we survive we didn't we were happy maker side in pan cart and draw them and attracted you know all that good stuff we enjoyed all of that so i i had a fully life remember my my parents it was so funny then ah god when you look at the schedule let me give you a quick schedule sunday schedule my father will wake up at five o'clock every sunday morning we have to have prior to meeting and bible reading after that is done then in the early years when i'm much smaller my the same yard now becomes a sunday school spot brother's sister small used to come and we get cinder block and he would look for the best piece of sea that would set up in that same little yard i don't know how we happen now i look back i wonder how did all that space was there so it was a sunday school so we have mornings on the school we have prayer meeting morning sunday school then we go day service night service and my father used to have an extension on the school at three o'clock so all day you were gone mother shaw about to keep everything the food has to be ready when we come back from the different operations our house was also a delivery spot pretty much a lot of the babies were delivered at home my two kids stacy and susan i remember when harper was born i was a little boy but i still remember mother sharp inside that little room i don't know how cute you have baby in a room that's small but all i remember i wake up the morning and the uh gal martin they used to call her she was the the midwife of the year all i hear is is hot water moving in a note and as a boy i i hear the little song in a couple days this was harper's i remember when she was born the house was so small i don't know because my little room was right here and their bedroom was there the room was so small they even put that door onto it it was just a little curtain but the funny thing about it i never hear a thing i i don't know what happened let's leave the room the horse was so smart you could take our house the whole house where we all grew up in put into my master bedroom and you'd have space look where god has brought us from as we get a little older my mom used to sell at the primary school so i was an ex-boy i had to get her stuff to the school she usually smells snow corn i can still smell that calories syrup that champagne syrup it was so good let's throw our beard so i had to load up the truck in the morning with the snow cone machine another boy like god i don't know i'm still alive and i had to push that truck for two miles every morning and evening you know put the four wheel get the whole steering from the thing and and drive that truck and carry our stuff you have a few guys in the district that used to help me push the truck a cart a natural cart and she would sell a little snow cone come home then we graduated a little bit and then we had a saturday schedule where every saturday morning five o'clock i got to get ready with mama we get that old chevy truck and we drive to brownstown to go sell snow cone and we would talk and laugh when we go to brownstown and all day we're selling that hot sun i remember mama in a happy way those drives from brownstone to and from selling snow cone all day helping her coming back then when we get rid of that he make up a little shop so the yard has expanded one more time she said her cursing isle and her everything and what can i say man it's look with him i can understand why she wanted to go home when she got sick she buy a ticket her ticket was until ready and she was ready to go home and harper was ready to take her but then kovy messed up everything [Music] the little money we gave her she saved everything i got to go home i need to go fix up my house i can't see why she wanted to go back to that spot that's her life that's where she grew that's where she that's what she knew that's what she loved i know my time is up but oh god do you want to go back home that's my mama that's what i know oh she's finally home [Music] if in this life only we have hope scripture says we have all men what did she take before nothing scripture said lay up your treasure in heaven where mark and rod doesn't destroy and thief don't break in and steal the suffering of this life is nothing to be compared [Music] look at the legacy look at all these these kids [Music] put a reed but yet two of my my grandkids are going into the university now studying to be a doctor how could this happen [Music] we have lawyers we have doctors we have nurses we have out of somebody that was insignificant could harlem read but for god [Applause] [Music] eyes have not seen ears have not heard my love is enter into the heart of men the thing that god has in store for his people so like the principles say be steadfast and unmovable always abounding in the work of the lord for this we know that your labor will not be invaded a lot to cap this off i just want to play this little song that capture her very well brother urban give me a second there let me let me do this [Music] let me go here i thought i had it but give me a second i want i wanted to [Music] oh did i mess this up i remember mama in a happy way [Music] if you can sing it [Music] listen i remember mama and the love that she gave [Music] the people are depending on you don't you let them down come on threepo i remember grandchildren we went in our shoes we didn't have much but the lord tossed through yes he did mama kept the family together i remember i remember my mom [Music] one more time i remember i remember in a happy in a happy way thank you everyone [Music] [Applause] [Music] thank you amen at this time we're going to invite mrs laurie dulcer granddaughter to read the eulogy [Music] lord everyone i'm going to say that one more time praise the lord everyone oh i thank god for the opportunity to be with you all here today this is my second time in a few years reading a eulogy and i tell you i am absolutely honored normally i am a big crier and normally funerals are supposed to be um sad occasions but for uh the children of god this is a celebration this is the end this is the punctuation mark at the end of a sentence of a person that lives their life for christ this is the exciting chapter of the book when you can finally say well done thou good and faithful servant and so it is my absolute honor and privilege to be asked to read the eulogy today and i want to say thanks to pastor stewart everyone that's here those that have volunteered their time on a saturday to be with our family i really do appreciate it before i start i mean the the only thing that i can say is what a legacy what a blessing to have the heritage that i have received that's been passed down you guys have listened and heard all of the stories and the one theme that is central really kind of mimics the saying that's on the wall is my grandparents focus was always on jesus they loved education they loved achievements they loved family they loved having a good time sometimes we forget that as children of god you actually enjoy having a good time but what was paramount in their life was their relationship with christ and that has passed down and because of that this is not a sad occasion this is a celebration of the completion of a life that is lived for christ this is the passing the finish line and so i'm so grateful for that legacy that has been imparted on me so just for a few moments i know that time is long jamaicans love to have long funerals and despite um my sister and i's good efforts these things do carry on but it is again such an honor to read the eulogy for my grandmother um doris may sharp formerly brown also known affectionately as miss dudu which i loved when i was a kid um joking that my grandmother was doodoo brown and if you may not have always been in church you'll remember a song that that's why that's so funny um but she was also known as sister sharp um for marrying my grandfather many years ago she was born on may 11 1928 in priory saint anne's bay jamaica she devoted her life to god her husband and her family spending most of her life in the beautiful countryside of jamaica until she and her husband joined their children in the united states here in 2014. my grandma loved and served her family faithfully until her passing on august 19 2021 at the age of 93 and that in and of itself is such a blessing to live such a long life my grandmother was the daughter of james brown yes another chuckle there her dad was james brown not the singer but uh and her mother was ivy williams and she was the only girl among her 10 siblings thank the lord that people could survive with families that big back in the day she attended primary school at priory primary school and on january 13th of 1952 she married my grandfather rupert sharp the young couple after their marriage settled in the smith field which until recently i did not know it was two words because i grew up hearing it as simmet field and i just thought that was one word well that's where they raised their family and my grandmother became a homemaker caring for her home her family and her community while her beloved husband who she affectionately called robbie was preaching near and far blessing children transporting them to school and interceding for families and those of you that you know had the opportunity to attend my grandfather's funeral heard so many stories of the impact that he had on so many lives in jamaica and even in the united states and i think sometimes we forget the silent warriors the support that enable men to do the works that they're able to do and my grandmother was certainly the backbone of his operation and him being able to bless so many lives my grandmother was a perfect companion who kept her house in order she always had my grandfather's clothes pressed and his shoes meticulously shined she ensured that he had everything ready and waiting for his next preaching assignment bible study or prayer meeting she lovingly prepared his meals and often had a hot plate of food and a cup of tea waiting on the kitchen table when he arrived i tell you folks i have never been so comfortable feeling inadequate because i don't know how my grandmother did all that she did and i know that i don't even hold a candle to her but i give her kudos for all that she did in her lifetime while my grandfather was the pillar of the united pentecostal church of jamaica who tended to the spiritual needs of the community it was my grandmother who served faithfully and without fanfare alongside him not one to seek the spotlight she quietly served where she was needed she faithfully cleaned the sanctuary and discreetly bought items for those neighborhood members that were in need together my grandmother and grandfather served their community in jesus christ through the north beulah upc church where pastor sharp my grandfather ministered for more than half of a century until his death in 2018. both doris sharp and pastor rupert sharp they were a match made in heaven they remained lovingly committed and married to one another for more than 65 years that is longer than so many of us in this room have been alive and that is a testament to what only god can do to keep two people from varying backgrounds together married as a couple for 65 years they built a solid marriage on love of jesus and for each other together they raised five children who you've got a chance to meet today who continue to love god and build on their parents humble beginnings despite my grandparents unlimited schooling they made enormous sacrifices to the to ensure that their children had greater educational opportunities than their own and that of course has transcended to their grandchildren great grandchildren and i think there's a couple great greats right now not only was my grandmother a support system but she had an entrepreneurial spirit and she was a quintessential proverbs 31 woman she would rise up early go to bed late doing all that she could to support her family she would grate up to 50 coconuts a day pops i think she would beat you even to this day often in the hot sun in order to make coconut oil which she sold to pay for her children's schooling adjacent to her family home she operated a small convenience store or you might want to say her shop where she sold little household necessities like kerosene oil which most of us that grew up here have no idea what that is and coal as well as kids treats such as bag juice and cheese chips now i was a very happy recipient of those jamaican care packages that would come with the bagged juice the cheese tricks the smuggled mangoes even though the immigration department did not want them to come into the united states i was a fond recipient of those and when they stopped allowing gimmick to come in she would peel them put them in syrup put them in a bottle and tape them up with duct tape it would take you a day to get the bottle open but once you got to those g-nep it was well worth it and she would send those care packages from her little shop to us excuse me and the proceeds of her labor were used to support her growing family as well as those of us that were here in the united states thanks to her and my grandfather's hard work succeeding generations would go on to study and build successful careers in the fields of psychology law medicine technology education engineering real estate media business the military and of course above all serving in the church my grandma was petite in size but she is described by her loved ones as one with an oversized heart she had a generous spirit and a way of making everyone feel special she loved her family including her great grandchildren and her great great grandchildren she remembered to mail birthday cards to celebrate the births of her grandchildren living abroad she patiently taught grandchildren that were visiting from farin i.e the united states or canada how to tend to the goats and to the chickens in her yard she loved to laugh and she did so freely with many generations of her family even in her later years my grandma was a trusted confidant and unwavering believer it may be long but it won't be forever she would say during times of adversity she often sought to remind others to remain hopeful and to seek god in every situation she was a woman of praise and she enjoyed singing old gospel hymns one of the last songs she sang on this side of glory was one that we sang today you need not look for me down in egypt's land for i have pitched my tent up in beulah land we are grateful that she had another land in view and grateful and remain firm in our faith during adversity we rejoice today knowing that she is now reunited with her beloved late husband pastor rupert sharp she's survived by her two brothers owen and pops baldwin that i believe are in jamaica at this time along with four generations of descendants including her children mavis avril robert ruth and harper her 21 grandchildren thank god and we get beat by the great-grandkids 37 great-grandkids and then we have five great great grandchildren in the family what a blessing what a blessing her legacy will most certainly live on in the hearts of all of her descendants and in the community of smithfield jamaica priory jamaica saint anne's bay jamaica and for all of us here in the united states and canada who were blessed to know this wonderful woman of god i invite you all as i close to just lift your hands and say thank you lord for the legacy that she has left behind thank you so much all god bless you [Music] thank you so much sister laurie and um at this time family is asked for offering to be collected and so we're going to ask the ushers to come at this time would you stand with me and while we are bringing an offering to the lord want to sing an old song all that thrills my soul is jesus it's one of those songs that especially in her later years sister sharp was definitely fond of and would sing in such a way that it would really impact others so if you all would stand with us at this time [Music] and right before we sing i'm just going to pray ask god to bless this lord jesus we are so grateful again for everything that we have heard to this point we are grateful for your presence which is definitely here we thank you for the life of sister sharp and we thank you for all of her family and friends indeed brothers and sisters in christ and we pray lord that as we bring our offering in humility to you lord use it for your glory your honor and your praise in jesus name we pray amen please follow the directions of the ushers [Music] who can cheer the heart like jesus [Music] by his presence all divine true and tender pure and precious oh how blessed to call him mine all that's reals my soul is jesus he ten is [Music] of christ so freely given grace of god beyond degree [Music] mercy higher than the heaven deeper than the deepest sea [Music] my soul is jesus [Music] [Music] and by the crystal flowing river [Music] and forever and forever praise and glorify the king all that thrills is [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] can we sing it one more time lift your hands all their thrills lord 100 see amen amen you may be seated and on your programs it shows that contributions would be made towards the rupert and doris sharp faith and ministry scholarship so thank you for your gifts and at this time we are ready for the word of the lord and again as we mentioned um toward the later months weeks and months of sister sharp's lives probably no greater prayer partner and encourager then pastor rosalina matos [Music] and we are grateful for her we're going to ask her at this time to come and preach the word of the lord and we are ready to receive would you at this time welcome pastor rosalina matos amen praise the lord everybody praise the lord somebody praise the lord anybody that means if you have a body you ought to be praising the lord [Applause] i know we have come to honor and respect and i have to say this at the beginning informed me when she first met me that i could not be her pastor she had one pastor and he was on to glory and that was her beloved husband pastor sharp i said i'm fine with that that's okay with me she said but you could be my minister and so mother sharp your minister has come to do the last thing you requested of me the family does not know this three months before she passed it was on one of your sunday journeys to the house to bring her food janice would always call me to talk to her and she walked out the room and she said oh good minister she gone come in real close we were facetiming each other she put her face so close all i could see was her nose she said come come in come in i guess she wanted us to feel like we were together in the screen so i got my face as close as i could get it and she said i have one last thing to ask of you little did i know that three months after that conversation i would be doing this today but out of love and respect for this great woman of god your minister will do her best to honor you to the family my adopted family whether you want me or not i am officially yours because mother sharp said i was one of hers too so if you love me or you don't you're stuck with me so just get used to it because that's what she said and i know we have heard so many wonderful things you've made me laugh i'd have a whole lot of questions because my jamaican education needs to be furthered along there are things i don't understand you say things that you eat i don't understand and um words that you use i need an interpretation so after all of this somebody with the gift please educate me uh the rest of my jamaican education will come into play but after hearing from her children her grandchildren our great-grandchildren and so many of you that have been blessed by her i hope that today i leave you with a message that she would want to leave with you to pastor and lady stewart thank you so much in the church here in palm and miami excuse me pentab god bless you for allowing us to use your facility our building would not be able to hold this crowd but one day we hope we'll be like just like you amen so if you don't mind having a little church with me a little mother sharp style can we do that just for a little bit if you know what mother sharp loved she loved to worship she loved to praise god and she loved to preach the preacher so i know you have your mask on and i can't see your mouth but you can still open up your mouth when you feel the spirit move you and give god a praise amen i am going to be reading you can stand if you want or sit if you will but first thessalonians chapter 14 verse 13-18 and it says but i would not have you to be ignorant brethren concerning them which are asleep that ye sorrow not even as others which have no hope for we believe that jesus died and rose again even so them also which sleep in jesus will jesus bring with him for this we say unto you by the word of the lord that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the lord shall not prevent them which are asleep for the lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout with the voice of the archangel and the trump of god and the dead in christ shall rise first then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the lord in the air and so shall we ever be with the lord wherefore comfort one another with these words the very last not final conversation but that conversation we had three months ago this was her scripture request to read to her family she emphasized that i would preach on this simple topic comfort them with these words please i apologize if i get a little emotional because this is not easy to do today but bear with me if you will and if i stumble just say amen amen i want to start out by saying as i journeyed with her in those last few days as we stood there as close as we possibly could on the zoom line as we reflected and sang and prayed and found words of comfort one for another it began to dawn on me the conversation that we had shared in private so many months ago i truly have to say i begged god not now not today not this week because for that week in my life the passing of this great lady would be the seventh death that i would be witnessing in one week i said god i cannot take no more and i am not ready to lose such a precious saint from our congregation but god who is always rich in mercy and who is sovereign and knows all things understood that it was time and that every now and then family god takes the best of us so that the rest of us have another reason to make it in and god also reminded me that she has not left the land of the living but she has left the land of the dead to go to the land of the living so comfort somebody with these words and as i sat and i prayed minister janice and reflected on what i would say my mind took me back to my memory bank and for a few moments i sat down and i wrote just a few things mother sharp taught this young minister the first time she walked into gospel light was on a sunday morning i was making my way to the drums because brother brother um kirby we don't have musicians like you i have to play the drums in the church so i made a beeline to shake her hand and just to say it was so good to see her she was shorter than me if that can be possible and i reached lower down to hear what she had to say she grabbed me real close to her mouth and she said i just want you to know i need god minister i need god the first thing i want to remind this family in the church here today is no matter how high you go or how successful you are or whatever you may accomplish never forget that you have a need from god i need thee oh i need ought to be the mantra ought to be the thing we say from the rising of the sun to the going down of the same i need god my going out my coming in my sitting down and my rising up i need god and every area and everything she succeeded and she amounted to i'm sure lady stacy that she did it with the help and the confidence of the almighty god no matter what i will forever remember those words as the first words she spoke in our church reminding me in her age that i still need god she would stand up and say i can't walk without him breathe without a move without him act without him because my need of god has propelled me to the understanding that i will always need him every day of my life the second lesson this wonderful woman happened to teach me was on another sunday morning as everyone already heard from members in the church that she loved to greet everybody and she always had a hug and a kiss for everybody and that sunday i made my way to her again just to say hello and to catch up for a minute and she pulled me real close and really seriously mama she said to me she said preach to me minister i need a word preach to me minister i need a word i marvel that a woman of god that had pastored alongside her husband 50 something plus years in ministry had labored in the church for more than a decade still had a desire for the preached word of god still had a hunger for the preached word of god i pray and hope that as we reflect upon her legacy that we have a desire and an appetite for the word of god that we never get so big and we never get so mighty and we never get so successful and we never get so accomplished and we never get so dignified and we never get so prosperous and we never get so high and falluding that we forget i still need a word in my soul preach to me pastor it don't matter how you say it it don't matter how you come it don't matter where it is but my soul must be saved preach in the morning preaching the evening preaching the daytime but whatever you do minister keep on preaching the third lesson she taught this young minister in our congregation was that in her frail body she was limited in movement at times and once again we always had sunday morning conversations so i made my way back to her mama and i said to her well how are you doing today and this morning she said i can complain but i won't complain because god is good i can complain but i won't complain because god is good i got issues i got problems i got up i got down i got everything in my life pressed on every side troubled in every direction but i can't complain but i won't complain family you may have problems and issues and dilemmas in your life but remember the legacy your mother leaves behind i can't complain because god is still good in my life [Music] [Applause] the fourth lesson she taught us it is in her eulogy she never lost hope miss laurie i thought this was amazing because one sunday once again we had a lot of conversations on sunday it was after church she pulled me aside and for whatever reason she was heavy in her spirited in her heart and she said to me that you know i have a lot of children i i have a lot of grandchildren and great-grandchildren and i said yes yes i know every time i show up to a family event there's more people that i didn't know was your family and she said yes i don't remember all of their names but i don't need to i have a god and no matter where my children are or my grandchildren or my great-grandchildren may be i know god will keep them and i will continue to pray for them i will never lose hope i need somebody here to say amen in your spirit and remember that when life breaks down and things bring you low and you don't know what to do remember you have a god and with god you have hope i have hope when trouble comes my way i have hope since jesus has come to stay i have hope oh yes it's a beautiful hope that sets me free she never stopped praying she never stopped believing she never stopped trusting she never stopped hoping against hope for her family the last less lesson she taught me lesson number five was church is what we do no matter how many or how few so show up and dress up and come to god's house she didn't accept herself being limited because she didn't believe that church was just a building she felt church was people and that you should always put your best foot forward and come to church she didn't consider herself to be fussy but trust me her suits were always on point her shoes always matched her purse even matched her hair was always immaculately done she always smelled good and her hats or her fascinators sometimes that were bigger than her whole body put together were just always on point she believed in coming to church showing up for church and dressing for church and as i look upon her children especially my adopted mother i say yes you were fussy just like mama sharp she taught us to put our best forward dress our best look our best and act our best because we were in the king's house the next lesson was probably the most important lesson she ever taught me in our congregation her lovely wonderful husband the man that she loved probably more than herself had passed on to glory she had stayed in jamaica a little while after the funeral we hadn't seen her in a little bit she had come to church that sunday morning i won't forget what she wore she wore her purple suit the one that you see in the picture before you dressed so nice and so lovely her fascinator on the side i said oh she just looked so cute today and right before i began to preach i just felt led to ask her if she had anything she would like to say she stood up she reflected that she was just coming back from jamaica and that her heart was broken and that she was still missing her husband but then she said these words of i have something i want to share and something i must say today because in spite of the hurt i am dealing with and in spite of the pain that i feel she put mother put her cane to the side she asked if she could have a microphone which was unusual and so we hurried up and got her microphone to her she looked over at her daughter i'm trying to see which one ruth yes to the side she asked her for a handkerchief or something she dried her eyes and they asked are you okay mother shark would you like to sit down no i don't want to sit down i have to have to do this standing up she looked up somewhere only view that you guys can only understand that she looked up and she said i don't know why i wish he wasn't gone i wish we could go together then i understood she was hurting that sunday she was low that sunday her heart was broken that sunday but she did something with the pain i will never forget she opened up her mouth she said i i'm not much of a singer i can't really sing and in a very halting voice broken with her emotion she said i i just want god to hear me say heaven is sounding sweeter all the time she got a distant glaze over her face and she put her one arm in the air she said it seemed like lately it's always on my mind and then she looked around the church and she did a circle spin and she said in one of these days i'm going to leave this world behind heaven is sounding sweeter all the time and for a few moments i saw heaven open i felt the shekinah glory descend on the tabernacle as the angel stood in reverence at a woman dealing with hurt and pain reminding god heaven is still what i long for heaven is still my desire heaven is still my ultimate goal and whenever you're ready i'm ready to go and as that church service changed transformed from a heavenly place to a glorious sanctuary as one by one the saints begin to rise to the occasion as our voices were lifted and a little bit of heaven walked up in that room oh the joy that filled my soul as i realized this is just a small measure of what is to come this is just a little bit of what heaven is going to be and as i thought upon this and reflected on our last final conversation concerning her knowing her time was at hand she said listen minister my children will cry they're all my children i raise them all they will cry but comfort them with these words i said mother sharp exactly what is it that you want me to say she said get you some songs and remind them that in their pain and sorrow that if anybody asks you where i'm going i'm going up yonder to be with my lord comfort them with these words some sweet day i'm going away i'm gonna leave this world no more to rome some sweet day when life is over some sweet day i'm going away comfort them with these words it is well with my soul when peace lack of river attendeth my way and sorrows like sea billows roll whatever my lot thou has taught me to say it is well it is well with my soul comfort my family with these words build the land i'm longing for you and someday i'm gonna see your face where my home shall be eternal beautiful land sweet butter land comfort them with these words we are often torched and driven on the restless sea of time summer skies and howling tempest off at last succeed the bright sunshine in that land with perfect day when the mist has rolled away we will understand it better by and by comfort my family with these words some glad morning we shall see jesus in the air coming after you and me joy is ours to share one rejoicing there will be when the saints shall rise headed for that jubilee yonder in the sky i feel my help coming on comfort them with these words the burdens of life may be many the frowns of the world may be cold to me it will matter but little when i walk up the streets of gold comfort them with these words there's a new name written down in glory oh yes it's mine and the white robe angels sing the story a sinner has come home comfort them with these words i have a home prepared with the saints abide just over in glory land and i long to be by my savior's side just over in the glory land somebody comfort one another with these words perfect submission perfect delight visions of a rapture now burst from my sight angels descending straight from above there's echoes of mercy and whispers of love this is my story this is my song praising my savior all the day long this is my story this is my song praising my savior all the day long comfort one another there will be peace in the valley for me someday there will be peace in the valley for me i pray no more sorrow no more sadness no more struggle will there be comfort somebody with these words there's a home prepared where the saints abide over in glory land i'll fly away oh glory i'm going to fly away rock of ages clear for me let me hide myself in thee lord pick me up and let me stand a higher place and i have found lord plant my feet lord plant my feet lord plant my feet [Applause] she would want me to tell you tin so sweet to trust in jesus just to take him at his word just to rest upon his promise she would want me to remind you that my jesus leads me besides still waters somewhere in the valley below but now he's tucked me aside after i've been tested and tried in the valley i'm leaning on the everlasting arms safe and secure comfort one another with these words and as that day came to be as we stood there by her side as she breathed her last final breaths this side of heaven i don't like to say i saw a passing but i saw a rapture i witnessed a rapture of a wonderful lady on her way home and for a few few moments elder sharp the scripture came back to me death where is thy sting and grave where is thy victory i'm not as educated as some but i do understand something about some bees that if me and you the next mother shark if we were walking together in a garden and a bee started to fly by if the bee lands on me and stings me the sting of the bee stays in me and i may not be able to catch the bee or kill the bee but there's no reason for you to no longer fear the bee because now the bee can land on you but it no longer has a sting because the sting is in me and so why we cry and why we mourn the passing of this great lady there is a hope to leave with you today that i came to the garden alone while the dew was still on the roses and the joy that we shared while we tarried there you see god took her on a journey from here to glory he pulled her aside and he allowed death to be a companion but david put it like this yay though i walk through the valley of death i fear no evil because there's no sting in death because there's also somebody present in the valley when you walk through the valley you see it's nothing but a shadow and a shadow can't do nothing to you but follow your movements you see there's a shadow right here i don't know if you can see it but it can't do nothing unless i do the action myself and so she started on the journey three months ago telling me what to say when to say it and how to say it and as we close she said i do not fear death i am not troubled by death because now i'm truly going to live and as i watch to breathe her last and final breath i saw that hell thought if i could just sting her one time [Applause] the darkness of death was so close we could hear the rattling of her breath we could see the agony of a chest rising and falling but at the last final breath when hell thought and death thought i've touched her the hand of god said you see the nail print do you see the blood do you realize that death you have no power sting you have no victory for what i have covered and when i see the blood oh somebody needs to realize and recognize there's no sting there's no victory because when i [Applause] comfort somebody with these words mother sharp it was my honor to be your minister someone young enough to not even know when to come in out of the rain someone young enough that you called your own but before those gates close behind you before you are presented before you see your savior face to face will you just let me say this in honor of you heaven sounding sweeter all the time [Music] it seems like lately it's always on my mind and one of these days i'm gonna leave this world behind [Music] sounding sweeter all the time can we say that again heaven sounding sweeter all the time it seems like lately it's always [Music] and one of these days [Music] all the time but i'm gonna add this song to it as i turn this service back see the bright light shine it's just about home time and i can see my father standing at the door this world has been a wilderness i'm ready for deliverance you know i've never been this homesick before can we say that again see the bright the light shine and it's just about a whole time you might as well join it and i can't see my father standing at the door yeah this world has been a wilderness [Music] it's just about home time and i can't see myself [Music] you know i've never been [Music] put them hands together [Music] yes it's just [Music] [Music] oh never been this whole sick before [Music] this has been wonderful a celebration of a life can we just give the lord a hand clap of praise i want to thank pastor mattos for so eloquently and passionately and lovingly imparting the word of the lord to us today bearing in mind the life of sister dora sharp 93 years serving the lord finding joy in him bringing joy even to us as we reflect on a life well-lived but her translation into eternity would you stand with me we're going to close at this time this has been a wonderful memorial service but she will never ever be out of our memories we will remember we will cherish the memories that we have we will cause them to allow us to reflect on our own lives on how much or how little we're doing with how much or little we have with all that god has blessed us with [Music] and how important it is to serve him and him only for all of our days bow your heads with me god we have heard your word today we have sung we have reflected as this family and friends as brothers and sisters in christ for years and years and years as we leave this place today our hearts lord may still feel sorrow from time to time but we know that you're a god who brings comfort so the words that we speak the songs that we sing the scriptures that we recite those that we have committed to memory lord would you allow them as we have heard today to comfort us and may lord as your people lord allow us to comfort one another with these words our labor sister sharps labor was not in vain you have taken her home she rests right now safe in your arms and as we leave this place we leave glorifying you and honoring you for her life and we pray oh god that you would remind us of how good you are to us how could you have been and how good you continue to be so with our with eyes we will look up not just to see her but to see you be with us as we leave this place today in jesus name amen amen god bless you come ye that love the lord and let your joys be known join in a [Music] us [Music] beautiful [Music] [Music] beautiful oh [Music] [Music] became the [Music] to [Music] is oh you

Channel: Pentecostal Tabernacle International Inc.

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Id: A18KbYUJJfg

Length: 164min 5sec (9845 seconds)

Published: Sat Sep 18 2021