"SORROW BORROW"

Daisy Mountain is a small unincorporated community in southeastern Oklahoma. Founded before statehood in 1906 the community is named after Daisy Beck, supposedly for being the prettiest girl on the mountain.The most famous resident of Daisy Mountain is Clarence Carnes, also known as the “Choctaw Kid” who, at age 18, was the youngest inmate ever sent to Alcatraz Federal Prison. Carnes was also involved in the infamous “Battle of Alcatraz” in 1946.

However, since 1973, Daisy Mountain’s notoriety is for its large, very large, sign made out of white rocks proclaiming the name “JESUS” sitting on the mountainside which can be seen for miles day or night. 

The “JESUS” sign was originally built on turnpike right of way property and in 1980 was ordered to be moved. Local residents threw down the gauntlet and George Nigh, then Governor of Oklahoma, pardoned the “JESUS” sign but it was too late as turnpike workers had already removed the sign.

Members of the McGee Valley Church wasted no time in building a bigger and better sign on private property high up on the mountainside. More than a football field wide, members and volunteers painted each rock white before placing them.

Just a stone’s throw north of Daisy Mountain near Hog Eye Creek was the 1949 birthplace of Richard Rose, better known by his nickname, “Yogi” as he was a big fan of New York Yankee’s catcher, Yogi Berra.

“Yogi” and his parents moved from the Daisy Mountain area to West Texas when he was in junior high. His dad took a job as an accountant with an oil company during the 1950’s Texas Oil Boom.

Celebrating his 19th birthday, “Yogi” was greeted with a draft notice and in the blink of an eye found himself in the Vietnam War’s Battle of Hamburger Hill. In 1969, the tour of duty was “364 days and a wake-up.” “Yogi” returned to the United States via the Point Loma Naval Base in San Diego.

“Yogi” called his parents from San Diego; “Mom and Dad, I'm coming home, and I've got a favor to ask. I have a friend I'd like to bring home with me."

"Sure," they replied, "we'd love to meet him."

"There's something you should know," “Yogi” continued, "he was hurt pretty badly in the fighting. He stepped on a land mind and lost an arm and a leg. He has nowhere else to go, and I want him to come live with us."

"I'm sorry to hear that, son. Maybe we can help him find somewhere to live." “Yogi” became emphatic; "No, mom and dad, I want him to live with us."

"Son," said the father, "you don't know what you're asking. Someone with such a handicap would be a terrible burden on us. We have our own lives to live, and we can't let something like this interfere with our lives. I think you should just come home and we will find some help for this guy then he'll hopefully find a way to live on his own."

At that point, the son hung up the phone. The parents heard nothing more from him. A few days later, however, they received a call from the San Diego police. Their son had died after falling from a building. The police believed it was suicide.

The grief-stricken parents flew to San Diego and were taken to the city morgue to identify the body of their son. They recognized him, but to their shocking horror they also discovered something they didn't know, their son had only one arm and one leg. Realizing their son was talking about himself, their grief brought them to their knees as they wailed with regret.

Most of us would rather have a root canal than to deal with grief, regret and guilt. Many of us would rather have that root canal performed without Novocain than wrestle with grief and loss. Dealing with grief and loss we caused is said to be the true meaning of hell on earth while grief and loss that happens outside of our control is still bitter as gall and rough as a cob.

God teaches us there are two kinds of grief; Godly grief leads us to repentance without sorrow while worldly grief pushes us away from God and leads us to misery, regret and death. (2 Corinthians 7:10) Simply put, Godly grief is to seek God for His help in dealing with loss, grief, regret and sorrow by spurring us to action to change and rely on Him while worldly grief is to avoid God and wallow around in our grief and regret by being stagnated.

The grief and regret caused by loss of a loved one is world’s apart from the grief, regret and guilt caused by our mistakes or screw-ups. While they are world’s apart, the solution is the same because God is the only one who can redeem us and make us whole. Some of us choose to beat ourselves up day in and day out as our own prescribed penitence. God’s diet plan doesn’t require us to eat sorrow by the spoonful everyday (Psalm 147:3) and He sure doesn’t want us borrowing sorrow.

If you are experiencing loss by death of a loved one or even loss by divorce then God left you six steps to help in your time of loss and grief. Since grief is a moving target so to speak, we must realize there is not any specific time for grieving in loss of a loved one. Whether it is 3 months or 3 years, it is normal.

God’s first step in the loss of a loved one is He will come closer to you. (Psalm 34:18) We all experience feelings that God is a million miles away and all the seats in His waiting room are taken so we are in the standing room only line.

Secondly, the Bible says Jesus was “a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief.” (Isaiah 53:3) When we come to Jesus with our grief, He understands our loss and pain. 

Third is God wants us to grieve with family and friends whether it be kinfolk or our church. Take to heart Jesus’ words; “Rejoice with those who rejoice and mourn with those who mourn.” (Romans 10:15)

God’s fourth step of dealing with grief and sorrow is to understand He uses them to mature our walk with Him. Usually, God does this by one of three ways; pain to get our attention, (Proverbs 20:30) pain to bring good out of bad (Romans 8:28) or pain to prepare us for eternity. (2 Corinthians 4:17-18)

The fifth step of God’s grief assistance plan is to give us the hope of eternal life on the streets paved with gold. If you believe in Jesus Christ and trust him for your salvation, then you have eternity in heaven with God. Also, God’s Good Book says; “We don’t want you to be ignorant about those who have died. We don’t want you to grieve like other people who have no hope.” (1 Thessalonians 4:13) Oh man and amen! God wants us to know specifically our loved ones who died are in Heaven and we will join them there someday!

The sixth and last step is God wants to use our pain and grief to help others. This is referred to as “redemptive grieving” as God does not want us to waste our agony. Sounds rude and crude but when we explore it deeper, God wants us to share His comfort with others. (2 Corinthians 1:4)

Heavenly Father, thank You for helping us when we are burdened with grief and sorrow. Remind us You are the only solution to easing our burdens, grief and sorrow. Comfort us with the knowledge our loved ones are safely inside the Pearly Gates. Give us the wisdom to understand the “Son of Man came enjoying life” (Luke 7:34) and You want us to enjoy life as well. (Ecclesiastes 2:24) Thank You for “Victory in Jesus” which gives us victory over death replaces our sin, grief and regrets with joy!