The Funeral Singer

Throughout my life I have had the opportunity of singing at many funerals.  In fact, some have deemed me as the "funeral singer," a title which I hold dear to my heart.  I have participated in the funerals for people I have not known well and funerals for those I love so deeply that I have had to completely rely on heaven's help to make it through the song.  I usually sing whatever the family requests, but when the family does not have a request, my go-to numbers are "I Know that My Redeemer Lives" and "Consider the Lilies."  I choose these songs because they give me an opportunity to bear testimony to broken-hearted family and friends that they are deeply and unconditionally loved by their heavenly family.

Today I was asked to sing at the funeral for Lorene Burns, a 94-year-old neighbor who has been ill off and on for many years.  After the funeral, I felt prompted to write my feelings down.

I am a witness that miracles occur when loved ones honor their dead.  No matter what the cause of death, no matter who the person is, God infuses funerals with a love so powerful that you can almost reach out and touch it.  He takes advantage of open minds and hearts to touch our souls with His spirit, His love.  Today was no different.  As I stood up to sing, I saw Lorene's family and friends as God's children.  I felt that He wanted them to receive the message that no matter where they are in life, He loves them and the Savior will always be there for them.  As the words flowed from "Consider the Lilies," I felt God beseeching Lorene's family to find Him--that "though their paths may wind across the mountains, He knows the meadows where they feed."  I felt personally empowered with His love to be the kind of person He expects me to be.  I felt the miracle of God's love working through me.  As in all funerals I have attended, no matter the circumstances or beliefs, the veil became so thin today that I felt unworldly emotions that I do not usually feel at any other time, except when I am in the temple.  I became a witness that God loves His children.  He is merciful to those who have wandered.  He sends angels to lift those who are suffering.  He changes hearts that need mending, and He is aware of us and wants us to find joy.  His power can be keenly felt when we are remembering the goodness of a loved one whose spirit is still very much alive, despite the death of the body.

 I am grateful for the spiritual glimpses that come when we remember and mourn the loss of a dear one.  The undeniable warmth of the Spirit reminds us of a greater, higher power who can lift us above the sadness and drudgery of the world.  We are gifted reassurance that God is waiting for us to come home to Him.  There dawns in our hearts a hope that life and love extend beyond this existence.  "For I am the resurrection and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live" (John 11:25).