Will Roberts Laid To Rest But His Faith Lives On In Others
Mark 1:1 7“Come after me, and I will make you become fishers of men.”
Will Roberts was a "Fisherman of Men". The term is one of Jesus' most important metaphors in the Gospels. It describes the calling of His first disciples and the mission He gives to everyone who follows Him. During Saturday afternoon's memorial service Will Roberts was defined as a disciple of Christ, who utilized the hardships of fighting for his life as an opportunity to be that fisherman.
During services at the Shelton State Community College, the gymnasium was filled with hundreds of mourners who turned out to say goodbye to a 15-year-old who has already heard praise for his faithfulness, "“Well done, good and faithful servant”.
Will's father Jason Roberts and his pastor Jason Poole described Will's zest for life but also his desire for everyone to know Christ. The story of today's memorial service was not about the cancer that took Will Roberts' life but about the way he used his life to impact others, by the thousands.
Will was a normal youth, he loved fishing, hunting, getting muddy and making people laugh according to his family but there was a difference about him. Rev. Poole called him "a modern-day evangelist" not reticent to share his faith and encourage others to develop theirs.
Pastor Poole told the crowd that because of Will's witness he had personally heard from a quarter million people who were personally impacted by Will's evangelism.
In an emotional earthly farewell to his son, Jason praised Will for how he faced the most difficult time anyone can imagine, a battle against a vicious, rare bone cancer. He described the up and down moments of Will's struggle and the impact it had on him personally and the family. Yet he repeatedly described how Will used his challenge as a witness to others.
Charlie, Will's young sister paid tribute to her big brother, "There will only ever be one Will Roberts, I want to follow his example. I want to love people the way he did, encourage people the way he did and keep sharing the faith that meant so much to him."
Will's dad spoke from his heart, "There is not going to be a day that goes by that I won't miss him. That I don't think about him. But I'm very grateful for the memories that we made. I'm very grateful for the love we gave him, because we surrounded him with love"
He added that Will, "Was full of love and laughter and there was nothing more that he loved to do than make people laugh."
Dexter Roberts, who had recently met Will marveled at how far Will's witness spread, "A 15-year-old boy from a small community in Alabama shook the nation with Jesus and prayer,"
The words of Rev. Poole reading from Will's obituary summed up what everyone should take away from the events that gained Will Roberts international attention. "If you wish to honor Will, don’t simply remember how he died. Remember how he lived," he admonished. "Go fishing. Take your kids hunting. Laugh until your stomach hurts. Tell someone about Jesus. Love your family fiercely, and when life gets hard, fight with everything you’ve got and never waiver in your faith. That’s exactly what Will did. His story did not end here. It simply continues where there is no more pain, no more tears, and no more cancer."
Buriel took place in Wesley Chapel Cemetery in Ralph.
Memorial donations may be made to either or both of the following organizations: Aveni Foundation, 2811 Wilshire Blvd #420, Santa Monica, CA 90403 https://www.avenifoundation.org/donate, or Beats the Odds Sarcoma at https://beattheoddsfund.org/donate.
