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Chapter 6: And, like his Grandmother Lilias, my brother Grover Honored the Lord
He too was a Reflection of his name Skeens
And, God Honored the Man that Honored Him
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On the day of Grover's death when it pleased the Lord our God to bring Grover to the sweet harbor of His everlasting rest, a long-tossed vessel upon the waves of many afflictions, Grover exchanged the sorrows of time for the joys of eternity.
Scripture Reveals that the Day of Grover's Death was Better than the Day Grover was born because of his Good Name and Reputation - Pause and think about that!
Ecclesiastes 7:1 1 A good reputation is more valuable than costly perfume. And the day you die is better than the day you are born. (NLT)
When God opened the door for me to appear in "For the Sake of Coal Miners" a video that was filmed in front of the Miner's Memorial located on the capitol grounds of West Virginia and seen on television hundreds of times - it was more than just a series of television commercials paid for by Don Blankenship.
Psalm 15 reveals that we are to honor the man that honors the Lord. And, so it was with Grover Skeens. God opened the door for me to honor Grover in that video because Grover was a man that honored the Lord. And, the series of commercials which included "For the Sake of Coal Miners" really are for the sake of all coal miners because if the truth about the coal mine explosion that Grover died in is not brought to light then another coal mine explosion similar to the one Grover died in may very likely occur.
"For the Sake of Coal Miners" calls attention to the need for improved safety measures. And, the commercials point out that untruths and politics have no role in improving mine safety.
I'm thankful for the opportunity that Don Blankenship gave me to take part in his efforts to expose the truth of what happened at UBB "For the Sake of Coal Miners". And, I am very thankful for the opportunity that the Lord gave me to be there for Don Blankenship and support him in his efforts.
Having said that - MSHA needs to do what is right in the eyes of man as well as the eyes of God. To avoid even the appearance of hiding the truth MSHA should release the gas analysis and say whether or not they required Massey to make changes to their ventilation. They need to be honest and tell the truth.
2 Corinthians 8:21 21 For we take thought beforehand and aim to be honest and absolutely above suspicion, not only in the sight of the Lord but also in the sight of men. (Amplified)
MSHA needs to take the Plank out of their Eye: How can MSHA say to a Coal Operator take the speck out of their eye when all the time there is a plank in MSHA's eye. Because if the Government and MSHA does not take the plank out of their own eyes and amend their own faults they will not be able to see things as they really are regarding the safety of our coal miners. Matthew 7:4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
MSHA is like those that the Apostle John spoke about in John 3:19-20 who won't come into the light because they are afraid of being exposed. And, because they are afraid of being exposed MSHA will do everything they can to avoid releasing the gas analysis and admit that they required Massey Energy to make changes to their ventilation system at UBB.
John 3:19-21 19 “This, then, is the judgment: The light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone who practices wicked things hates the light and avoids it, so that his deeds may not be exposed. 21 But anyone who lives by the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be shown to be accomplished by God.” (HCSB)
For those like MSHA who hate the light - darkness is a place where they hope they can hide from the truth. They love the darkness because it is the only place where they can hope to hold on to the good opinion they have of themselves - one of self-importance. And, there opinion of themselves is that in the eyes of man they are good men and women who are blameless and above reproach.
However, MSHA should be more concerned with God's opinion of them. For Scriptures like Ecclesiastes 7:1 reveals that the day of one's death is better than the day of one's birth only "IF" he dies with a good name and reputation in the eyes of the Lord. How God sees a man is what counts - all else is vanity.
Ecclesiastes 7:1 1 A good reputation is more valuable than costly perfume. And the day you die is better than the day you are born. (NLT)
Grover's Good Name: And, that brings me to Grover. Was the day of Grover's death better than the day of his birth?
Just as the author of Ecclesiastes 7:1 speaks of a man's good name, in the ad I too spoke of Grover's good name. I referred to Grover as a good miner who would never have done anything that put other miners at risk.
But, does the Lord see Grover as I see him? In the eyes of the Lord was the day of Grover's death better than the day of his birth?
And, just as the author of Ecclesiastes 7:1 speaks of the day a man dies, in the ad I too spoke of the day Grover died. In the ad I explained that my brother Grover was killed in the 2010 Upper Big Branch coal mine explosion in West Virginia. But, unlike the author of Ecclesiastes, I didn't mention the day of Grover's birth in the ad. And, it wasn't until after Don posted the video on August 18 that I told him August 18 was Grover's birthday.
So, given that Hebrews 2:4 reveals that the Lord will confirm what He tells us by giving us a sign - I asked the Lord for a sign. Hebrews 2:4 4 At the same time, God also testified by signs and wonders, various miracles, and distributions ⌊of gifts⌋ from the Holy Spirit according to His will. (HCSB)
And, as a sign to me, that He saw Grover as I did, the Lord gave me the understanding that He would ensure that Don would release the ad on August 18 - the same day Grover was born on. And, even though Don Blankenship was not aware that August 18 was the day Grover was born on 65 years ago - just as the Lord told me - Don uploaded the ad to his website on that very day. |
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And, this was my sign from the Lord that Grover really was a good coal miner who would not have done anything that would have put his life or the lives of other coal miners at risk. Grover's good name and reputation meant everything to him. And, anyone who knew Grover, understood that what was really important to Grover, was that he had a good reputation in the eyes of the Lord. And, needless to say, the Lord has confirmed to us all that in the eyes of the Lord - Grover was a good man. A man who loved the Lord with all his heart, his soul, his mind and his strength.
I will always miss Grover, however I can take solace in the fact that the day of Grover's death was far better than the day of his birth. And, I am eternally grateful for what the Lord has done for me and for Grover's memory.
There were 29 coal miners who died that day and each of us has our own story. But, because some of the families told the media that their loved one did violate safety measures many people came to the "wrong conclusion" that all the coal miners who worked at UBB including those who weren't working that day as well as those that died in the explosion - that they were all guilty of safety violations - and that the explosion was due to the coal miners because they violated safety laws that put themselves at risk.
Many of the coal miners still feel pain at the loss of the 29 coal miners they worked with and they don't need the extra burden of people believing that they violated safety laws that endangered the lives of the 29 coal miners that died in the explosion at UBB - because they didn't.
The idea that King Solomon, the author of Ecclesiastes 7:1 wanted to convey was that if a man's life is such that he leaves a good name behind him, then the day of his death is far better than that of his birth. And, I am so thankful that Grover's character was such that I am able to say that my brother would never done anything that would have put his life, the life of her brother, or the life of anyone that worked at UBB in danger.
The Lord will Honor those who Honor Him: Psalm 15 reveals that we are to honor the man, like Grover, that honors the Lord.
And, I'm thankful that the Lord has given me so many opportunities to publicly honor Grover, to tell others that Grover was a good coal miner, whose reputation was more valuable than costly perfume. And, that the day he died in the UBB explosion was better than the day he was born. But more importantly, I am so thankful that I have been able to honor Grover's memory by telling so many people that Grover was a man after God's own heart.
Psalm 15:1-5 1 LORD, who can dwell in Your tent? Who can live on Your holy mountain? 2 The one who lives honestly, practices righteousness, and acknowledges the truth in his heart— 3 who does not slander with his tongue, who does not harm his friend or discredit his neighbor, 4 who despises the one rejected by the LORD but honors those who fear the LORD, who keeps his word whatever the cost, 5 who does not lend his money at interest or take a bribe against the innocent— the one who does these things will never be moved. (HCSB)
Psalm 147:11 and 1 Samuel 2:30 reveals that the Lord takes pleasure in those like Grover who honor Him and that the Lord will honor those like Grover that honor Him. And, I am eternally grateful that the Lord has and continues to honor Grover because Grover so honored Him. Psalm 147:11 but He takes pleasure in those who honor Him, in those who trust in His constant love.
1 Samuel 2:30 30 Wherefore the LORD God of Israel saith, I said indeed that thy house, and the house of thy father, should walk before Me for ever: but now the LORD saith, Be it far from Me; for them that honour Me I will honour, and they that despise Me shall be lightly esteemed. (KJV)
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The Day of Grover's Death
On the day of Grover's death when it pleased the Lord our God to bring Grover to the sweet harbor of His everlasting rest, a long-tossed vessel upon the waves of many afflictions, Grover exchanged the sorrows of time for the joys of eternity. |
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UBB - Unanswered Questions |
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The following comments are from Don's Facebook Page concerning the above ad that was filmed in front of the Miner's Memorial on the lawn of West Virginia's Capitol.
Gwen Thomas' brother Grover lived with her when he was not working at Upper Big Branch (UBB). They were very close. Gwen understood from testimony at my trial and from Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) briefing meetings that MSHA was essentially blaming Grover and the other miners for causing the UBB explosion by not doing their jobs properly.
The government's line was that Massey Energy Company only cared about production and profits. The other government falsehood was that the miners were so afraid of me and of losing their job that they broke the mining laws.
The facts are that nothing could have been further from the truth. Confidential surveys conducted by professional consultants were conducted both before and after the tragedy. The miner’s responses to questions regarding Massey's safety practices, the quality of training, the condition and availability of equipment, the miners comfort with telling management about safety issues and other similar questions made clear that more than 93% of the miners believed Massey mines to be safer than other mines they had worked at.
MSHA and the prosecutors also made a big issue out of the number of violations UBB received. Here again the government misled the jury, the public, and the families.
UBB had about the average number of violations for a US longwall mine. In fact, UBB had far less violations than the most comparable mine to it (i.e. the Harris Mine nearby). Former Massey mines in the UBB area received more violations after Alpha Natural Resources acquired the mines than they did under Massey. And as to the government's claim that Massey received more violations than its competitors because it did not staff its mines with enough miners, this was proven false too. Alpha added miners, and yet violations increased.
Ms. Thomas asks in the video whether MSHA required changes which reduced the airflow. The truth is that they did. Not only did MSHA require ventilation changes which reduced the airflow by 50%, they did so despite being begged by company personnel not to do it. Incredibly, both of the government's lead witnesses testified to this fact at trial.
Ms. Thomas also asked about natural gas exiting the mine. The truth is that MSHA knows that a huge volume of natural gas exited the mine after the explosion. It was enough natural gas to fuel 17,000 homes that use solely natural gas to heat and cool and operate their appliances for a full day. An explosion expert report fully explains why it is clear that UBB was a natural gas explosion and not a dust explosion as MSHA claims. It’s not an opinion, it is a scientific fact.
We wish to express our sincere thanks to Gwen Thomas for her understanding, her courage and her assistance in exposing the truth of what happened at UBB "For the Sake of Coal Miners". |