November 10, 2021 was a beautiful, sunny Fall day. I am positive my son, Bradley, woke up that morning with a song in his heart. If I know him, it was probably something like Southern Nights by Glenn Campbell (one of his favorites). I am sure he was singing in the shower that morning, loudly and joyfully.

He was thankful he had the day off. He was thankful his honey, Georgia, did too. They made plans to spend time together that afternoon, eating (of course, which was his favorite thing to do), and skateboarding. Then at 6:00 pm, they were planning to go to East Pickens Baptist Church to join me to pack Operation Christmas Child boxes. He was excited about that too.

On their way to Joe’s in Easley, he and Georgia stopped by the house. It was out of their way, but Bradley wanted to come, and see if I was home. I am so thankful that he did. His visit that day was such a blessing that will bring joy and comfort to me for the rest of my life.

Around 3:00pm, I was sitting at the island in my kitchen having a phone conversation with a young woman about our women’s mentoring program when he burst through the door. He started loudly, “Hey, Mama, what’s up?” I smiled and immediately put my finger to my mouth to shush him while I finished up. 

He stood there grinning by my refrigerator, arms crossed, rocking out and back with an excitement he couldn’t contain. The second I hung up, he stomped through my kitchen with arms open wide, threw them around me and gave me one of his huge bear hugs that I have come to love so much. During the hug, he continued his rocking back and forth with me in step. He was so alive and happy.

I said, “I thought you were coming tomorrow while I have Levi.” Levi is my 5-month-old precious grandson and Bradley’s only nephew. He said, “I decided to come today too.” He told me he loved me so much, and I told him the same back. He said that he and Georgia were headed to Easley. He was just beaming. He was the happiest I have seen him in a while.

We chatted a minute, then I wanted to go see Georgia who was waiting in the car. He bragged on her skateboard being a Cadillac. He told me his was worn out. I looked at it, and sure enough it had a small crack in the tip of it. I fussed that he didn’t need to ride it. He quickly dismissed with an “it’ll be all right” comment, then changed the subject. He was joking and teasing with me about him and Georgia crashing on my couch and watching movies. I said that would be great with me, as long as they didn’t mind me working while they did.

He went into the house again to use the restroom while I continued to talk with Georgia outside on the beautiful Fall day. Then we heard a loud musical noise. He was banging chords on my piano so loudly in the house that we could hear it outside. We both died laughing. He was so happy. He came back outside and told me he had had a great talk with his brother, Taylor, the night before. He said, “I love that boy.” I said, “You know he loves you too!”

He gave me one more hug, told me he would see me tomorrow and was excited to come play with Levi. As they drove off, I watched them and remember thinking, “What a sweet visit!”. We had had many encounters through his life that were not that great. But they day was different. I could tell he was happy to the soles of his feet. He had finally found the love of a wonderful woman in Georgia, and it gave him a spring in his step and an indescribable joy. He was enjoying life to the fullest that day. Usually he cranked the radio to the max, but that day they just talked all the way to town. I am so glad they had that time.

They went to Joe’s in Easley where he had a chili cheeseburger, lettuce, tomato, onion, mayo, mustard, with half and half. He was a “with and all the way” kind of guy.  She giggled through lunch and he laughed so loud the whole restaurant heard him I’m certain. Then they stopped into the Uncle Sam’s Antique Store across from the police station before going to the Doodle Trail to skate.

They entered the Trail across from the Easley Police Department and carried their skateboards to the top of the hill. They passed Danny Merck, Superintendent of Pickens County Schools, who was there praying his usual Lord’s prayer and other prayers for the county and the children in the schools that he does every week on the Trail. He told me later that Bradley was making Georgia laugh walking passed him up the hill.

Side by side, Bradley and Georgia hopped on their boards. Bradley on the right, Georgia on the left. They started down the hill. He took off quickly, but she was a little more timid and realized she probably couldn’t do the hill. Her board was wobbling a bit. She didn’t ride as much as Bradley, and was a little unsure. She jumped off and chased her board as it bumped the left curb of the trail. She then looked down the hill to see Bradley fall and tumble. He hit his head. The ambulance arrived and took off with him. My Bradley went into cardiac arrest shortly after they got him into the ambulance. They worked on him for a long time, but could never get him back. The Lord came for him on the way to the hospital that day.

I know that he skated down that hill and skidded sideways in a cloud of smoke into Heaven. I am sure he was shouting “Wow, what a ride!” Then I can envision him grabbing Jesus in a bear hug and laughing the loudest laugh he ever laughed, and I know he has been laughing with joy unimaginable ever since.

He is in Heaven today because of one simple decision he made in the midst of all the battles with the devil in his life.  He accepted Christ as his personal Savior. Our hearts are crushed because we have to try to figure out how to live in a world that has no Bradley. I mourn him, and our grandchildren he probably would have had if he had lived. Georgia mourns the future they were planning. God’s grace has been amazing for us all as we have gotten by one minute at a time. I praise God that Bradley made that one simple decision that changed everything. We will see him again. Sweet memories and that promise is what we have to cling to with each other. God’s grace is enough.

2 Corinthians 12:9 says, But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

The Lord has been so close to me during this time, and the Holy Spirit has met me with encouragement each morning since Bradley has been gone. He has reminded me that eternity is endless. Nothing can be added to something that never ends. So Bradley has lost nothing of time because he will live forever.

God is sovereign and Bradley’s life was completely fulfilled in 21 years. He finished his test, and I am certain the Lord told him, “Well done my good and faithful servant!” This revelation from the Lord has greatly comforted me in these last two weeks. It challenges me to want to arrive in Heaven like Bradley did, hearing the same sweet words from my Jesus. I will spend the rest of my life sharing about what God did for Bradley, and what God did for me through Bradley. I am so blessed to have been chosen to be this precious young man’s mother.

Our lives are a test. It is about making the decision to live forever or not through accepting or rejecting Christ’s precious gift of His blood-shed sacrifice on the cross for us. The only thing that really matters in our lives is that we make that one simple decision. Abundant life is also about surrendering to the Lord, and doing all we can for Him while we are here—telling others about His saving grace and love.

The only thing that will live forever will have Christ in it. I praise God that Christ’s love was firmly planted and thriving in Bradley’s heart. He only had 21 years, but that was enough time for him to accept Christ, and now he is in glory.

The last pictures that Bradley took were in the antique store before he died. All the pictures from that shop seem surreal and certainly remarkable. The very final one speaks to me so loudly and brings me great peace, and is the main picture for this blog. The first thing at the left edge of the picture is the old clock. You cannot see the time on the top. That is significant to me because of the hope the Lord shared with me that this life does not add to eternity. Time doesn’t matter. The light in the center of the picture is amazing.

I went back to the shop this Tuesday. I stood where Bradley stood when he made that picture. The bright light in the center of the photo seems to be coming from a reflection. I wanted to see what reflected that light and buy that item.  There is nothing there to reflect it. It seems to be a vertical rectangle and the only thing there is a small rack of glass shelves that could not possibly reflect that shape or hold anything that could.

I asked the store owner what he thought was reflecting that light. He said probably a car from outside the window. If you study the photo, you will see that there is a kettle on the front wall of the shop that shows that it was not coming from a parked car outside. The streams of light don’t go in the direction of the windows suggesting the light source was from outside. Could it be an angel that was lingering near my boy for that last hour? Or is it a door into Heaven? I don’t know, but the picture gives me peace that he and Georgia were not alone when he died. It also affirms that it was his time and nothing could have changed that. 

This Thanksgiving, tell those you love that you love them. In Bradley’s honor, please give them a bear hug. You never know when you are with them for the last time. Life is so fragile. Choose Christ during your short opportunity to do so to insure you can have endless life in Heaven with Jesus. Do all you can for Christ while you are here.

We have so much to be thankful for even in the midst of our sorrow. I know I will see my boy again. Do you know where you and your family will spend eternity? Are you doing all you can for Him?

Thank You, God, for loving us, for hearing our baby boy’s cries in Ukraine and wanting him for Your very own. Thank You for answering our prayers for another child. You want the unwanted and you bless the barren woman with children. Because of you and the blood that was shed on the cross, I will see my son again, and live in glory forever with you and all my loved ones who have gone on before.

Lord, please bless all those reading this. May they too find this peace that passes all understanding that only comes from You and Your great love. Happy Thanksgiving, Lord! I give all my thanks to you as humbly as I know how! Amen

2 Corinthians 4:16-18 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.