Inez Wright

IT'S A HIGHWAY TO HEAVEN

I WANT TO THANK YOU FAMILY FOR COMING TOGETHER IN MY HONOR IN LOVE AND UNITY;

TO REFLECT ON AND RECALL MY LIFE'S JOURNEY.

I WAS BORN ON WEDNESDAY JUNE 3, 1936 IN PINE BLUFF, ARKANSAS.

I WAS THE ELDEST DAUGHTER OF 3 GIRLS BORN TO ARTHUR AND LAURA HENDERSON. IN MY EARLY YOUTH, MY FAMILY RELOCATED TO BENTON HARBOR, MI.

AS MY FATHER WAS IN SEARCH OF BETTER JOB OPPORTUNITIES TO SUPPORT OUR FAMILY. IT WAS IN BENTON HARBOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS THAT I RECEIVED MY EDUCATION.

I FOUND EMPLOYMENT AT MICHIGAN FRUIT CANNERY.  I ACCEPTED JESUS AS MY LORD AND SAVIOR AT AN EARLY AGE AND THANKS BE TO GOD WHO GIVES US VICTORY THROUGH JESUS. I HAD A QUICK WIT, A COMPASSIONATE HEART, AND A KNACK FOR MAKING EVERYONE LAUGH.

I TRULY WAS THE LIFE OF THE PARTY.

I MET AND MARRIED JAMES WRIGHT. I WAS  THE PROUD MOTHER OF FOUR CHILDREN: GWENDOLYN NELSON, THE LATE CLARENCE WRIGHT, VEADA WRIGHT,

AND DUVAL (KATHY) WRIGHT. MY CHILDREN WERE MY GREATEST GIFT AND MY INSPIRATION. CHILDREN LET "D MAMA" MAKE A PROCLAMATION RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW;

PARENTING NEVER CAME WITH A MANUAL. I HAD SOME CHALLENGES ALONG THE WAY, I LEARNED BY TRIAL AND ERROR, STEP BY STEP AND DAY BY DAY. NO, I DIDN'T DO EVERYTHING RIGHT, NO ONE IS PERFECT, BUT ONE THING FOR SURE I LOVED YOU ALL. MY LOVE LANGUAGE IS NOT LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE, ALL I KNEW TO DO WAS BE MYSELF, BUT I LOVE ALL 4 OF YOU IN MY OWN WAY; INDIVIDUALLY AND UNIQUELY. IF I JUST BE HONEST ABOUT MYSELF AND TELL THIS THING TRUTHFULLY; THERE WAS SOME

THINGS ABOUT ME THAT MADE ME SICK OF ME. IF I WAS IN A ROOM ALL BY MYSELF, I WAS IN BAD COMPANY. YES, I WAS A CHRISTIAN BECAUSE I BELIEVED.

I KNOW THAT NOW THAT THE HOUR IS HERE THAT I HAVE DEPARTED THIS OLD WORLD ON A PERMANENT LEAVE; NO MATTER WHAT NINJAS THINK OR BELIEVE, I KNOW THAT I AM GOING TO SEE THE KING! LOOK WHAT MY GOD SAID IN JOHN 5:13 "THESE THINGS HAVE BEEN WRITTEN THAT YOU MAY KNOW THAT YOU HAVE ETERNAL LIFE".

I DON'T CARE WHAT MAN HAS TO SAY, NOR TO MAN HOW IT SEEMS; I KNOW ME BETTER THAN ANYBODY, AND WHILE I WAS IN THIS OLD FLESH,

I STRUGGLED WITH SOME THINGS. SOMETIMES I HAD TO ASK MYSELF; "WHY DID I SAY THAT?,

WHY DID I ACT LIKE THAT?, WHY DID I DO THAT?, INEZ YOU KNOW BETTER THAN THAT." NOW

TO THE HYPOCRITICAL; SANCTIMONIOUS CROOK THAT WAS JUST LIKE ME, YES YOU, JUST LIKE

ME WITH A DECORATED VOCABULARY; I HEAR YOU SAYING "OOO WEE, WHY THEY SAY ALL

THAT?" WELL BROTHER NEVER DONE NOTHING WRONG AND SISTER HEAVENSENT, NAMES

HAVE BEEN CHANGED TO PROTECT THOSE THAT REPENT.

I WAS JUST ME, NEVER FAKE NOR PHONY. WE NEED TO STOP CRITICIZING WHO IS NOW WHAT WE USED TO BE!

SOME OF US SMOKE A LIL WEED, LIE, CHEAT, STEAL, PLAY A 4 DIGIT, AND PULL A SLOT MACHINE OR WE'RE JUST DOWNRIGHT TWO FACED AND MEAN; NOT TO BE IN YOUR BUSINESS TRYING TO PROD, SIN IS JUST SIN AND IT STINKS IN THE NOSTRILS OF GOD! I JUST NEED TO PAUSE FOR THE CAUSE AND THANK MY SAVIOR FOR AMAZING GRACE, THAT LET ME LIVE LONG ENOUGH TO OVERCOME MY MISTAKES! I DON'T CARE WHO YOU ARE OR WHERE YOU COME FROM, YOU MAY NOT EVER ACKNOWLEDGE IT, BUT EVERYBODY UP IN HERE TODAY HAS SOME SKELETONS IN THEIR CLOSET! YES, YOU MAY HAVE THOUSANDS OF FOLLOWERS, A FEW EXTRA DOLLARS,

A POLISHED LOOK IN THE PUBLIC'S PRESENCE BUT THE TRUE ESSENCE IS DEEP DOWN ON THE INSIDE YOU HARBOR ALOT OF HIDDEN PAIN.  LOOSE ENDS SAID IT BEST, YOU CAN'T STOP THE RAIN; WHEN IT STARTS TO FALL, THERE'S NO ONE ELSE TO BLAME IF YOU LOCK THE DOOR.

LISTEN, I HAD A LIMITED EDUCATION BUT I WANT TO SUBMIT FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION, THE WORD HOMOPHONES. HOMOPHONES ARE WORDS THAT ARE SIMILAR BUT HAVE DIFFERENT MEANINGS, THEY SOUND ALIKE BUT ARE SPELLED DIFFERENTLY. IF YOU WILL JOURNEY WITH ME, ONE LAST TIME BEFORE WE MEET AGAIN ETERNALLY. IMAGINE A PERSON FALLING INTO A DITCH, AND THEY ARE HAPPENED UPON BY A SET OF HOMOPHONES NAMED APATHY, SYMPATHY, AND EMPATHY. APATHY IS EMOTIONAL EMPTINESS; APATHY SEES YOU IN THE DITCH AND SAYS: "I DON'T CARE, HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH ME"; SYMPATHY IS THE CAPACITY TO SHARE FEELINGS. SYMPATHY SEES YOU IN THE DITCH AND SAYS: " I'M SO SORRY YOU'VE FALLEN; I KNOW THAT HURTS" EMPATHY IS UNDERSTANDING ANOTHER PERSON'S FEELINGS. 

EMPATHY SEES THE PERSON IN THE DITCH AND SAYS I HAVE FALLEN INTO A DITCH A TIME OR TWO; I KNOW HOW TO GET OUT SO LET ME HELP YOU GET OUT TOO". THE SAD THING ABOUT THE WORLD TODAY, MANY PEOPLE ARE APATHETIC, A FEW ARE SYMPATHETIC, BUT GOD IS LOOKING FOR THE EMPATHETIC, HE TRADED GLORY FOR EARTH TO WALK IN OUR SHOES, SO WE COULD HAVE A RIGHT TO THE TREE OF LIFE AND SHARE THE GOOD NEWS, YOU DON'T HAVE TO STAY IN THE SHAPE YOU'RE IN, THE POTTER WANTS TO PUT YOU BACK TOGETHER AGAIN. ONE DAY I FOUND MYSELF SICK WITH A DISEASE CALLED SIN. THE GPS POINTED ME IN THE DIRECTION OF THE GREAT PHYSICIAN; HE GAVE ME AN OLD FAMILIAR REMEDY AND A LIFE TIME PRESCRIPTION. WHAT CAN WASH AWAY MY SIN? WHAT CAN MAKE ME WHOLE AGAIN?

NOTHING BUT THE BLOOD OF JESUS!

FAMILY, I CAN TRULY SAY, I' VE ENJOYED YOU, WOW WHAT A RIDE. THURSDAY OCTOBER 9, 2025, WAS A GREAT DAY;

GWEN LIKE USUAL RENTED A VAN AND WAS TAKING ME ON A LIL' FAMILY VACAY TO SEE MY GRANDSON SAY "I DO". VEADA CAME TO GET ME, THEN WE MET UP

WITH GWEN, DIA, ERIC, AND AMSIE. WE WERE LOW RIDING DOWN THE HIGHWAY HAVING A TIME AS ALWAYS. OUT OF NOWHERE, I HEARD A VOICE;

I TOLD MY FOLKS "HOLD ON; WAIT."

THEY THOUGHT MAYBE I WAS IN SOME PHYSICAL PAIN, BUT THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER WAS I WANTED THEM TO BE QUIET BECAUSE I HEARD A VOICE SO SWEET CALLING MY NAME. THE WORLD SAYS WHEN A SINNER DIES THEIR NUMBER WAS UP; WHEN YOU GO TO PAY TMOBILE THEY WANT TO KNOW YOUR PHONE NUMBER, WHEN APRIL 15TH ROLLS AROUND UNCLE SAM, HE WANTS YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER; THE MAIL MAN WANTS YOUR ADDRESS AND ZIPCODE, ;

SECRETARY OF STATE CARES NOTHING ABOUT YOUR NAME, THEY WANT YOUR DRIVER'S LICENSE NUMBER; BECAUSE THE WORLD NUMBERS THEIR PEOPLE! THAT'S WHY

WHEN THAT STILL SMALL VOICE CAME; I KNEW THE ROLL WAS BEING CALLED UP YONDER AND I WAS SOMEWHERE LISTENING FOR MY NAME! I KNOW IT WAS A SHOCK TO Y'ALL THAT MY PRESENCE AT THE WEDDING HAD TO BE CANCELED; BUT WHEN JESUS CALLED HIS CHILD'S NAME I HAD TO ANSWER!

HE IS THE POTTER AND I AM THE CLAY. I DETOURED THE TRIP WITH Y'ALL TO START WALKING UP THE KINGS HIGHWAY!

I MISSED THE WEDDING BUT I HAD A FAMILY REUNION WITH MY PARENTS, MY SON CLARENCE, AND MY SISTERS FLORENCE AND

RUTH AND WHAT A TIME WE ARE HAVING IT'S LIKE WE ARE BACK IN OUR YOUTH. SO WHILE I'M AWAY STICK TOGETHER IN LOVE AND UNITY I HAVE MY TWO DAUGHTERS, GWENDOLYN NELSON, VEADA WRIGHT, AND MY SON DUVAL(KATHY) WRIGHT; MY GRANDCHILDREN; CASSANDRA, ERIC, GWENDELLE, AMSIE, QUINTON, DUVAL JR., DAVONTAE, DIONTAE, AND CHERLON; A HOST OF GREAT GRANDS, NIECES, NEPHEWS, COUSINS AND SOME DEAR FRIENDS; I HAVE ALL OF THEM TO CARRY ON MY LEGACY.

ONE LAST THING Y'ALL CARRY ON DON'T WORRY ABOUT ME! GOD CALLED MY NAME; HE WANTED ME SO HE SET ME FREE. I'VE DONE ALL I CAN DO AND SAID ALL I CAN SAY.

I'LL SEE Y'ALL AGAIN SOME DAY, UNTIL THEN I'M WALKING UP THE KING'S HIGHWAY!

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