Reading for Today–April 10
Deuteronomy 34:1-Joshua 2:24
Luke 13:22-14:6
Psalm 79:1-13
Proverbs 12:26

“Be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
Joshua 1:9

I have not thought of Lois Narey for several years. She was an older widow who went to church with me in Memphis. She lived by herself–her children, who I only met at the funeral, lived out of town. She had a successful career but had retired after suffering a stroke.

But Lois was at church all the time, including Ladies Bible Class on Tuesday morning. This is the class the young 22-year-old minister was invited to teach.

And it was this passage from Joshua that I turned to at the time of her funeral. I thought she was so strong, so courageous.

I love how we associate certain texts from scripture with events and people. Psalm 46–the Sunday after 9/11. Ephesians 2:8-10–my teacher Harvey Floyd. Revelation 19–Grant Sloan. Mark 9–Billy Graham Crusade, 2000.

And Joshua 1. My courageous friend, Lois Narey.