An Unassuming Man
My job with the local paper takes me into some interesting places where I have the opportunity to meet some fascinating people. Today was one of those days. Earlier in the week, I talked with my boss who asked me if I would be willing to write a story on the 62nd reunion of a class of a high school that is no longer in existence. She gave me the name of a man and his wife who organized the reunion. I called and made an appointment to meet them.
I arrived at their home armed with my camera and notebook expecting to hear interesting stories about the class. Instead, I was introduced to one of the most interesting individuals I have met in a long time and bombarded with more information than I knew how to handle.
The man and his wife, who looked to be in their mid sixties welcomed me into their home and immediately introduced me to his 102 year invalid mother who was unable to do anything but sit and listen, but she seemed delighted to have the company. We sat down at the dining room table, and the man spread out old maps of the county and began to tell me about the history of the high school.
As we talked, I learned that the man in front of me was not in his 60s but in his 80s. He was a retired pastor, navy chaplain, missionary, town mayor (the youngest ever in South Carolina--elected into office at age 22) and founder of one of the largest religious magazines in the world. He worked on the first NASA project (it was top secret then), and pastored over 33,000 heads of families as a navy chaplain.
One of the things that impressed me most about this man was his humility and love for the Lord. At the end of our conversation, he walked me upstairs to show me another part of their home. In the back was his office. On the walls were plaques, certificates and pictures from his life. He picked up a photograph and showed me a picture of him standing in front of St. James church in Chicago with a catholic bishop and a high-ranking military chaplain. He said to me, "You know what I preached when I got in front of those people?" He paused and looked at me straight in the eye. "I preached the only message there is, the gospel of Jesus Christ. You can't water that down. People are out there searching for God, and we have a message to bring to them. We have to take every opportunity God gives to us." As I began to leave, he kept saying to me, "God is going to do great things in your life." Then he told me he would be praying for me.
Looking at the picture of that man standing in front of St. James Church, I couldn't help but think of Paul the Apostle standing before Caesar. When Paul was given the opportunity to stand before the highest man in all of Rome, he preached Christ. Here was an unassuming man from a tiny little town in South Carolina, and God used him. And what did this man say to me? God is going to do great things in your life. And why wouldn't He? He is a great God.
I arrived at their home armed with my camera and notebook expecting to hear interesting stories about the class. Instead, I was introduced to one of the most interesting individuals I have met in a long time and bombarded with more information than I knew how to handle.
The man and his wife, who looked to be in their mid sixties welcomed me into their home and immediately introduced me to his 102 year invalid mother who was unable to do anything but sit and listen, but she seemed delighted to have the company. We sat down at the dining room table, and the man spread out old maps of the county and began to tell me about the history of the high school.
As we talked, I learned that the man in front of me was not in his 60s but in his 80s. He was a retired pastor, navy chaplain, missionary, town mayor (the youngest ever in South Carolina--elected into office at age 22) and founder of one of the largest religious magazines in the world. He worked on the first NASA project (it was top secret then), and pastored over 33,000 heads of families as a navy chaplain.
One of the things that impressed me most about this man was his humility and love for the Lord. At the end of our conversation, he walked me upstairs to show me another part of their home. In the back was his office. On the walls were plaques, certificates and pictures from his life. He picked up a photograph and showed me a picture of him standing in front of St. James church in Chicago with a catholic bishop and a high-ranking military chaplain. He said to me, "You know what I preached when I got in front of those people?" He paused and looked at me straight in the eye. "I preached the only message there is, the gospel of Jesus Christ. You can't water that down. People are out there searching for God, and we have a message to bring to them. We have to take every opportunity God gives to us." As I began to leave, he kept saying to me, "God is going to do great things in your life." Then he told me he would be praying for me.
Looking at the picture of that man standing in front of St. James Church, I couldn't help but think of Paul the Apostle standing before Caesar. When Paul was given the opportunity to stand before the highest man in all of Rome, he preached Christ. Here was an unassuming man from a tiny little town in South Carolina, and God used him. And what did this man say to me? God is going to do great things in your life. And why wouldn't He? He is a great God.
Comments
Others are great but unknown, except to those who are astute enough to see thet greatness that is inside them.