Remembering.....

I drove in from South Carolina last night. For some reason, it was very important that I get home. As I drove, I reflected on the activities of the week. It had been very busy.

It began this past Saturday as Glenda and I drove to Paducah, spending the night in a hotel in Metropolis. We were there to have a day of ministry on Sunday. Sunday morning, we would be at Full Gospel Tabernacle, the church that my father had served as pastor for more than 28 years. It would be the first time that I had been there in several years. I felt honored to visit there with many of the people that had been friends for most all of those years.

We had moved to Paducah in 1959, and as boy, I remember the excitement that came from moving to the city! But for my father, it was the realization of the calling of God. He often said that he was called of God to Paducah, to preach, pray and love. So it was! He fulfilled that calling with over 28 years of faithful and committed service.

As I walked into the sanctuary of FGT, I could see his hand in every facet of the building. He had turned the first shovel of dirt on the property that he had claimed over and over in prayer, symbolically walking the perimeter of that entire block morning after morning, day after day, asking God for favor so that the church could be built and established. I remembered.....

As I ministered in the service Sunday, it was a stirring message springing from the Book of Habakkuk that spoke of a vision that was so clear that those that read it could run. Vision is often spoken about, but most of us really have little understanding that the vision that we receive is just the tip of an iceburg, so to speak, of a greater picture of the design of God. My portion of that vision is only a part of the greater plan of God. I read from the story of the Israelites passing across the Jordan, each tribe taking a stone with which to build a lasting memorial to the realization of arriving at the promise and all that had happened through the many years of their relocation from Egypt to the Promise Land. Really this memorial was more than just a remembering place; it was a place to decide where and what would Israel do from that place to possess the promise.

The service ended Sunday morning with the entire congregation gathering to renew a commitment to the greater vision, to not dwell in the shadow of the past, but to rise up with a new awareness of the providence of God and the call of God on all of our lives to "run this race with victory"! God sealed this moment with His Presence as I washed the feet of a dear brother, representing a brokenness, and humility of the heart. It was at that moment that many of the hurts of the past were lifted from my heart regarding the "yesterdays". Thank God!

Then Sunday evening, Glenda and I were blessed to minister with Pastors Larry and Judy Starnes of the Oasis Christian Center in Paducah. We always feel welcome with the Starnes' and the people that make up that fellowship. After the service, the Starnes' invited us to join them for fellowship. We sat and visited, remembering... Jason Brand and Brian Shelton had joined us there. These young men represented the past and the future of what GOd desires to accomplish in the days to come in Western Kentucky, no doubt.

I see in Pastor Starnes many of the attributes that were birthed in his heart during the years that he had sat under my father's ministry. Others have had a great influence, but much of the foundation was laid during those years at FGT. It was just part of the greater plan that God has designed for that great city.

It was 22 years ago, today that my family and I took my father for his last road trip to a small cemetery near Crossville, Illinois. As we gathered there on the hillside, it had begun to snow. It was a painful day for all of us. But to me, it was the most painful day of my life. As I carried that casket along with my two sons, and my brother-in-law, Jim Baldwin, I realized that I had lost my father, my mentor, my confidante, as well as the dream of what could have been, and was, at least for me, the loss of what represented my future. But again, my view of the vision is small compared to the greater vision of an Eternal God.

Today, a dear faithful, friend will be taken to a small cemetery. His life of 98 years has affected the lives of hundreds, even thousands of young people. He spent most of his years serving people in Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Indiana, and Tennesse. He and his wife established many young preachers with love and encouragement. Today, the Milton family mourn, but Bro. Floyd and Sister Eulah rejoice together. We will miss him, as we have missed her.

Yes, the I woke up long before the alarm this morning...REMEMBERING!

I remember the last conversation that I had with my dad, in the hospital, on Monday, December 14, 1987, moments before he slipped into a coma. He said, "Son, remember that God has a place for you in His master plan that no one can alter, except you! Carry on in what God has called you to do!" In less than 20 minutes, he slipped into a coma, and at 5 pm, Dad left this life.

So, if you are wondering what I am doing, I'm pressing on! Forty four years ago, I began a walk with God, preaching my first message at a Tuesday night service lead by Irene Harper. Sunday night, I preached the most recent message in my career at a church whose pastor is the son-in-law and daughter of Irene Harper. The best is yet to come!