A blogging friend of mine, Pam Williams, is an insightful and engaging writer, as well as a pastor’s wife. She and her husband, Dick, “retired” from full-time ministry. Dick and Pam are close to my age and several years ago he decided to retire from being a full-time pastor in the Methodist church. So he thought. He has recently been asked to serve as the interim pastor of First United Methodist Church in Mercersburg, PA. You can read all about it here. Pam is a long-time blogger…longer than me (my first blog was 2/08). Her most recent post (you can read it here) is called “Examples to Follow” and it really made me travel back through time. Please take a moment and read her short post then come back here to see my time travel thoughts.
In my comment to her I wrote about 3 specific people:
My mother. She was primarily the one who told me and taught me about Jesus. I’m sure-although I can’t remember 🙂 – that she sang to me as she fed me and rocked me. She strived to live out her favorite song “Make Me a Blessing” from the hymn book. It was her faith that helped her survive my dad walking out after 25 years of marriage. She wasn’t perfect, just perfectly forgiven (to borrow a line from a Petra song). It was her faith that kept her going when both her parents passed away and it was her faith that was real during her battle with a rare form of cancer that brought her to see Jesus in 2004.
My grandfather. Many were the walks to church on a Sunday, Wednesday or a Friday night (prayer meeting) when i was young. Those 3 miles were “open mic” nights when I would ask and he would listen and then answer.
Pastor Ralph White. Pastor White was a Timothy of the church I grew up in and at the retirement of our pastor after 35 years, he came to the church in Duquesne, PA, He was the pastor for about 3 1/2 years when he moved on to more fruitful and accepting territory (Johnstown, PA). He brought a renewed faith in my young heart and put a spark there to consider full-time ministry. I’m in the ministry largely because of his influence on my life.
There are more people…too numerous to mention. When one is 70 years old he has a lot of years and people to consider. I’m forever grateful for the people God brought into my life-past, present, and future.
Who has influenced you and your walk with Jesus? If they are still alive, have you thanked them?
