As a pastor, being around funeral homes is a part of the ministry. I have heard funeral directors sometimes comment, “they come in threes.”

Beth Slocum called me early yesterday morning and told me that her brother, and my friend, Jay Powell, died. Like everyone else who heard the news, it was a shock.

Jay was not ill. He was actively engaged in his law practice and as a leader in the Georgia Legislature. This came out of nowhere.

Beth and Jay’s father, A. J. Powell, passed away last September. He lived to be 100. That is one where family and friends grieve over a loved one but also understand that 100 years is more than most have on this earth.

In October, Beth’s husband, Jody Slocum, died after a very short illness. That one hit hard.

Beth and the whole family were leaning on Jay to work through all the legal matters of their father’s estate.

Now her little brother who also is one of the most respected leaders in the Georgia House of Representatives died of a sudden heart attack. The question that everyone asks at a time like this, “Why?”

The only thing that I could think was the old gospel song, “We’ll Understand it Better By and By.” As I write this, I am listening to a Bill Gaither Homecoming Vocal Band with the full audience singing that old song.

You may facing something that you don’t understand and find some comfort in this old song as well. Here’s the link.

I get a chance to travel around South Georgia and visit with farmers. Any time I was in Mitchell County, I made it a point to stop by Jay’s law office. If he was in, and not with another client, he always asked me to come back to his office to visit for a while.

The simple wooden table in his office usually had law books and papers stacked around with one set, in front of him, marked up with his notes. It may have been a deed, will, or a bill in the legislature that would impact millions of citizens of Georgia.

He never seemed too swamped or overwhelmed to sit and talk for a while. He shared observations on politics and always wanted my take on various matters. Rural Georgia will miss his leadership and advocacy. All of Georgia will miss his straight shooting.

Once he voted no on a bill than I advocated. I could not understand his vote and sent him an e-mail asking. He wrote back that he wanted to meet and talk about it. We did have a chance to talk a little while later.

There was no pounding the table, defensiveness, avoidance, or power play. He simply walked through several provisions in the bill that he felt were not thought through before passing.

We started the visit as close friends and ended it just as close, if not closer. I told him that I understood the particular concerns that he raised, but still felt that the bill was good and glad that it passed and was signed by Governor Kemp.

I recall one particular time that is still vivid in my memory. We had visited about several matters. I was serving on a state board at the time. The agency leaders were constantly rolling out new rules and I was pushing back.

In this particular visit with Jay in his law office, we talked about a lot of different issues but the agency matters were peripheral at most. As I got up to leave his office, he stopped me and simply said, “I want you to know that I appreciate you taking on the bureaucracy.”

I miss Jay and going through Camilla will never be the same. For family members, there are no words. The best I can offer is that we’ll understand it better by and by.

by