YOU and GOD

The following is a reprint of an earlier post that many of our recipients did not receive due to technical difficulties.

President Ronald Reagan used that phrase in 1986 when he awarded Guy Doud the distinction of National Teacher of the Year. In the presentation, honoring not only Doud but all teachers, Reagan went on: “Your very smile or frown can heal or pierce a heart. Yours are a hundred lives, a thousand lives. Yours the pride of loving them. The sorrow too. Your patient work, your touch make you the god of hope that fills their souls with dreams—to make those dreams come true.”

Beautiful thoughts focused on the power of the teacher. Probably most readers of these lines can call to mind the face, smile, touch, and words of some teacher(s) who impacted you in ways immeasurable—usually for good, sometimes for bad. But a good teacher, who can overstate their worth?

The Bible affords us insight into the work and worth of teaching and teachers. First, some in the Body of Christ, His Church, have been specially and spiritually gifted by God’s Spirit as teachers. (Romans 12:6) In fact, if a man would seek to be a pastor, he must be “apt to teach.” (I Tim. 3:2) But all mature believers, whether gifted by the Holy Spirit as teachers or not, should be taught sound doctrine so that all can in turn teach new believers—or other maturing members of His church—truths they have learned. (II Tim. 2:2) Paul instructs Pastor Titus, who labored in ministry on the isle of Crete, that he should carefully speak sound doctrine to aged men and women as well as to younger men and women. Specifically, Paul says that the aged women should be “teachers of good things…that they may teach the younger women.” (Titus 2:3,4) At some station in life, we are all teachers: at home, in the school, at work, at church, or in any other place where we are relating to others.

Teaching is teamwork. An organist was giving a concert years ago when the organ then was a large pump organ, with bellows backstage to provide air for the pipes. The organist obviously pleased the audience, which rewarded him with generous applause after each piece. Coming to the last number on the program, the musician announced, “I am now going to play…” and announced the number. As he sat down and began the piece with a robust gesture—with arms and hands landing on the keys—the audience held its breath, waiting for the grand music. But there was only silence. Finally, a voice from backstage insisted: “Say ‘we’!” It was a not-so-subtle reminder that any worthwhile artistic offering is a team effort. One pounds and pumps; the other works the bellows. So with the work and worth of the effective teacher. We must first be taught before we can teach. It is not a one-man production. Never overlook the work of those who have preceded you, or of those who accompany you in your efforts.

A violinist was appointed as a professor of music at a prominent university in California. When asked about the change of direction in his career, the violinist said: “Violin playing is a perishable art. It must be passed on as a personal skill; otherwise it is lost.” Paul said it this way to Pastor Timothy: “The things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.” (II Tim. 2:2)

Perhaps the best teachers are those who are creative, and do not lecture or use Power Points but make powerful points. One such teacher made an impression upon some junior high school girls who were “kissing” the restroom mirrors, leaving fresh lipstick marks for the janitor to remove. Each night, the maintenance man would remove the marks, only to find new ones appear the next day. The principal, hearing of the situation, decided something had to be done. She called a meeting with all the girls in the bathroom, with the maintenance man present. She shared with the girls that their misbehavior was giving the custodian headaches, as he had to clean the marks from the mirrors every day. The lecture was met with yawning disinterest from the assembled girls. To demonstrate the difficulty the girls were causing the janitor, the principal asked him to show the perpetrators just how much effort it took to clean up after their messes. So the custodian took out a long-handled squeegee mop, dipped it in the toilet, and cleaned the mirror. After that creative lesson—taught in a most unusual place in a very unorthodox way—there were no more lipstick marks left by the little princesses on the mirrors! The person who shared this incident concluded: “There are teachers, and there are educators.”

Howie Hendricks, a legendary professor for 50 years at Dallas Theological Seminary, said, “The art of teaching is the art of getting excited about the right thing.” No Bible teacher, pastor or not, should ever be boring! No schoolteacher of any subject should ever be boring. Creative messages and innovative methods should guarantee that there will always be a demand for good teachers, who will ever be “guardians of dreams.”

“Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen” (Matt. 28:20)

Recently our home church commemorated its 67^th anniversary on a special Sunday. Our pastor, Joel Stevens, asked me to reflect upon some of the events of those years, two-thirds of which I was privileged to have been the under-shepherd. For anyone who may be interested, here are a few memories I shared:

The first Sunday I preached as pastor of Thompson Road Baptist Church, Lonial Wire, long-time lay song leader, pulled me aside and said, “Preacher, we have one unspoken rule here: song leaders don’t preach, and preachers don’t lead singing.” I wiped the sweat off my brow when he said that! I had never aspired to lead singing, and Lonial, who proved to be a dear friend, never had aspired to be a preacher, though he loved preaching and preachers. We got off to a good start together!

That first fall as pastor, in 1979, encouraged by our deacons to do so, I preached the fall revival meeting. All went well, and with parents attending with small, school-age children, I was sensitive to getting families home at a “respectable” hour so that they could get their children in bed before it was too late. There was a large clock on the wall, above the auditorium doors, that anyone could easily read from the pulpit. About the third night, the chairman of our deacons, after the closing prayer, made a bee-line to the pulpit and got into my face with his long, bony finger shaking and said, “Brother pastor, if you don’t quit looking at that clock on the wall back there, I’m going to put a calendar over it!” Enough said and thank you, Brother Henry Davee—a godly man who did everything in his power to assist a new pastor, and to minister to his needs faithfully, until he was graduated to glory.

God never failed in supplying the needs of His church. In the early 1980s we experienced four Sundays in a row of really bad weather, almost blizzard-like. I don’t remember cancelling any of the services, but I do know that many people could not make it to church because of the dangerous weather conditions. There was no “online” giving in those days, and it would be an understatement to say that the offerings suffered during that month. My wife, Ellen, was working in the church office at that time. One day in the middle of the week, after three or four blustery Sundays, a man dropped by the church office. He and his wife had moved quite a distance from the church and had not been attending, even before the weather turned frigid. But they had been putting away their weekly offerings in the envelopes provided to each member/family. With hardly any conversation, the gentleman laid down a fist full of envelopes, then left. Ellen had to catch herself to keep from falling off her chair (at least in my imagination)! We got through that long, cold winter—and decades more—with every need graciously met by our great God! As Pastor R. V. Clearwaters used to say, “Nothing over, nothing lacking.” So true!

On a lighter note: One year I announced to our church that since Paul told the Corinthian believers that they should “lay by him in store” the collection for the saints on the first day of the week—“that there be no gatherings when I come” (I Cor. 16:1,2)—I wanted our church to do the same, starting weeks ahead of our spring revival meeting. The evangelist was one of my favorites, a friend from school days. And, in truth, I wanted to “put him to the test.” Our folk set aside a generous amount of money as a love gift for the man of God, well ahead of the beginning of the meeting. So, during the week, I never mentioned taking up an offering for the evangelist, not one time. I was satisfied that this seasoned evangelist, living by faith, would not—would not, I repeat—at any time during the week say something like, “Pastor, are you forgetting the love offering?” And, I was right! He said nothing. We had a good meeting, and on Saturday morning, before our guest pulled up stakes (actually, got his motor home ready for departure), I handed him an envelope with the “love offering” plus expense money in it. He thanked me without any further discussion but did not seem to be overjoyed with the whole method of operation that week. He had passed the test, as did our church. I believe the offering was at least equal to what we would have given had offering plates been passed and appeals for giving been made every service. I never did an offering that way again; and the evangelist returned for meetings many times at our church in the ensuing years. He and I remain friends to this day! To pastors who may be reading this: I am not advocating this, and please note that I did it only once in 48 years of pastoring!

I could share many more memories, but one more. Above I mentioned Lonial Wire. On Mother’s Day, he would often sing the tender old song, “Tell Mother I’ll be there, in answer to her prayer.” There was a dear family that never missed a Mother’s Day service with their 90-something—maybe even 100-year-old—mother. On at least one Mother’s Day, I placed a rocking chair near the pulpit and asked the aged mother if she would join Lonial and myself on stage. She was carefully helped to her seat, and Lonial began in his touching, tenor voice singing, “Tell Mother I’ll be there….” Between the first and second stanzas, I quoted (with Mrs. Taylor beside me) the poem that begins: “There she sits, the dear old mother. Time has etched deep furrows into her brow, and her shoulders are a bit stooped having borne a heavy load of cares so many years” (something to that effect). By the time Lonial began singing the second stanza, there were many hankies dabbing tear-stained eyes throughout the auditorium. When the song/poem concluded, the dear old mother was presented a bouquet of long-stemmed roses as she was escorted back to her seat.

These are a few memories—and, of course, there are myriads more. Precious memories, how they linger.

“Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; and His greatness is unsearchable. One generation shall praise Thy works to another, and shall declare Thy mighty acts.” (Ps. 145:3,4)

Nothing will ever replace the preaching of the Word of God in the program of God and His plan to evangelize the world.

Personal evangelism, one on one, is vital. But it will never replace powerful preaching. The two merely complement each other.

Books, magazines, tracts, Christian films—all are very important and effective tools for getting the gospel out. But preaching will always be necessary in the evangelization and edification of those who receive the Word.

From apostolic times to the present hour, God has used the preaching of the cross and has declared that “it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.” (I Cor. 1:21)

“How shall they call on Him whom they have not believed…and how shall they hear without a preacher?” (Rom. 10:14)

Yes, preaching is vital: God-ordained, Holy Spirit anointed, sin denouncing, salvation announcing preaching of the whole counsel of God. Preaching by all kinds of preachers: the loud, the long, the short, the simple, the plain, the profound, the narrative, the no-nonsense, the topical, the textual, the mobile, and the motionless; the full gamut of personalities, styles, backgrounds, levels of education—preachers who will stand up, open up the Bible, speak up, then sit down and shut up.

Visit with me an occasion in the life of the apostle Paul, as we look at an example of 1st century, apostolic preaching. Our text is Acts 13:13 and following, and the outline is easy to follow: the content of Paul’s preaching, and the character of Paul’s preaching:

1. The Content of apostolic preaching

▶︎ It was Bible-centered, v. 15—No Reader’s Digest articles, no current events to discuss, but “to the Law and to the testimony.” (Isa.8:20)
▶︎ It was Christ-centered, v. 23

• The promised Savior, v. 23 (the means, the place, the family, the tribe, the town)
• The crucified Savior, v. 28 (not for His own sins, but for ours)
• The resurrected Savior, v. 30 (according to prophecy and by God’s power)
• The forgiving Savior, v. 38

“I know not how that Bethlehem Babe, could in the God-head be; I only know the manger child has brought God’s life to me;
I know not how that Calvary’s cross, a world from sin could free; I only know its matchless love has brought God’s love to me;
I know not how that Joseph’s tomb could solve death’s mystery; I only know a Living Christ—our immortality!” (unknown)

2. The Character of apostolic preaching

▶︎ It was powerful, v. 16

• He commanded their attention, v. 16a
• He appealed to them personally, v, 16b
• He appealed to their religious sensibilities, v. 16a
• He pled for an ear, v. 16d

▶︎It was planned, vss. 16-22

• There was an introduction, vss. 16-22
• There was an exposition, vss. 23-31
• There was an application, vss. 32-37
• There was an invitation, vss. 38,39
• There was an exhortation, v. 40
• There was personal work, v. 43

“Pastor Adam reflects the heart of a man truly, and heavily burdened for lost men and women, boys and girls. For almost four years now, I have heard him give an invitation each and every Sunday—at times with a breaking voice and tear-filled eyes. I have seen him weep as a man, for whom we both had been praying, rose from his seat and walked forward to embrace Jesus as his Lord and Savior.” (John Aker in “Thought for the Week,” 5/17/25)

▶︎ It was personal, v. 26

• “Men of Israel” v. 16
• “Men and brethren” v. 26
• “Men and brethren” v. 38

▶︎ It was pertinent, v. 32

• The promise was made to our fathers
• The promise has been fulfilled to us, their children

▶︎ It was persuasive, vss. 42,43

▶︎ It was productive, vss. 49,50

• Many received, v. 49
• Many rejected, v. 50

“I preach—I dare to say it—because I can do no otherwise; I cannot refrain myself; a fire burns within my bones which will consume me if I hold my peace. Preach the gospel very decidedly and firmly, no matter what people may say of you, and God will be with you.” (Warren Wiersbe)

“Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me; that by me the preaching might be fully known, and that the Gentiles might hear; and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion.” (II Tim. 4:17)

President Ronald Reagan used that phrase in 1986 when he awarded Guy Doud the distinction of National Teacher of the Year. In the presentation, honoring not only Doud but all teachers, Reagan went on: “Your very smile or frown can heal or pierce a heart. Yours are a hundred lives, a thousand lives. Yours the pride of loving them. The sorrow too. Your patient work, your touch make you the god of hope that fills their souls with dreams—to make those dreams come true.”

Beautiful thoughts focused on the power of the teacher. Probably most readers of these lines can call to mind the face, smile, touch, and words of some teacher(s) who impacted you in ways immeasurable—usually for good, sometimes for bad. But a good teacher, who can overstate their worth?

The Bible affords us insight into the work and worth of teaching and teachers. First, some in the Body of Christ, His Church, have been specially and spiritually gifted by God’s Spirit as teachers. (Romans 12:6) In fact, if a man would seek to be a pastor, he must be “apt to teach.” (I Tim. 3:2) But all mature believers, whether gifted by the Holy Spirit as teachers or not, should be taught sound doctrine so that all can in turn teach new believers—or other maturing members of His church—truths they have learned. (II Tim. 2:2) Paul instructs Pastor Titus, who labored in ministry on the isle of Crete, that he should carefully speak sound doctrine to aged men and women as well as to younger men and women. Specifically, Paul says that the aged women should be “teachers of good things…that they may teach the younger women.” (Titus 2:3,4) At some station in life, we are all teachers: at home, in the school, at work, at church, or in any other place where we are relating to others.

Teaching is teamwork. An organist was giving a concert years ago when the organ then was a large pump organ, with bellows backstage to provide air for the pipes. The organist obviously pleased the audience, which rewarded him with generous applause after each piece. Coming to the last number on the program, the musician announced, “I am now going to play…” and announced the number. As he sat down and began the piece with a robust gesture—with arms and hands landing on the keys—the audience held its breath, waiting for the grand music. But there was only silence. Finally, a voice from backstage insisted: “Say ‘we’!” It was a not-so-subtle reminder that any worthwhile artistic offering is a team effort. One pounds and pumps; the other works the bellows. So with the work and worth of the effective teacher. We must first be taught before we can teach. It is not a one-man production. Never overlook the work of those who have preceded you, or of those who accompany you in your efforts.

A violinist was appointed as a professor of music at a prominent university in California. When asked about the change of direction in his career, the violinist said: “Violin playing is a perishable art. It must be passed on as a personal skill; otherwise it is lost.” Paul said it this way to Pastor Timothy: “The things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.” (II Tim. 2:2)

Perhaps the best teachers are those who are creative, and do not lecture or use Power Points but make powerful points. One such teacher made an impression upon some junior high school girls who were “kissing” the restroom mirrors, leaving fresh lipstick marks for the janitor to remove. Each night, the maintenance man would remove the marks, only to find new ones appear the next day. The principal, hearing of the situation, decided something had to be done. She called a meeting with all the girls in the bathroom, with the maintenance man present. She shared with the girls that their misbehavior was giving the custodian headaches, as he had to clean the marks from the mirrors every day. The lecture was met with yawning disinterest from the assembled girls. To demonstrate the difficulty the girls were causing the janitor, the principal asked him to show the perpetrators just how much effort it took to clean up after their messes. So the custodian took out a long-handled squeegee mop, dipped it in the toilet, and cleaned the mirror. After that creative lesson—taught in a most unusual place in a very unorthodox way—there were no more lipstick marks left by the little princesses on the mirrors! The person who shared this incident concluded: “There are teachers, and there are educators.”

Howie Hendricks, a legendary professor for 50 years at Dallas Theological Seminary, said, “The art of teaching is the art of getting excited about the right thing.” No Bible teacher, pastor or not, should ever be boring! No schoolteacher of any subject should ever be boring. Creative messages and innovative methods should guarantee that there will always be a demand for good teachers, who will ever be “guardians of dreams.”

“Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen” (Matt. 28:20)

(The following is a message preached by Dr. Larry Hufhand, who pastored for more than half a century. His crowning ministry was a 41-year stint as senior pastor of First Baptist Church of Tipton, Indiana.)

There are some fundamental factors essential in every pastor’s ministry if it is or was successful. Someone has said, “A man’s value is not determined by the abilities he possesses, but by the ability he uses.”

In II Samuel 12:1 we read, “And the Lord sent Nathan unto David.” Here we see the intrinsic value of God’s servant. It’s about David and his clever scheming to cover up his sin, but what I want to demonstrate here is that the full story of David’s life would have never been told, had it not been for the obedience and bravery of Nathan. God sent Nathan to David.

That’s how it always begins. A man falls into a pit and breaks his leg. He has to have help in getting out. It’s useless to expect him to climb out by himself. He must have the help of another; so it was with David. David had sinned a great sin, and his moral backbone was broken. If he was ever going to get out of the slime pit of his moral dilemma, someone was going to have to come along and help him out. I wonder how many people would still be gripped by their sin had it not been for some faithful servant of God that came along to extend to them a spiritual helping hand. God sent Nathan to David.

I am going to ask you to consider some truths found in Hebrews, chapter 13. It is a great passage dealing with relationships: to each other, to strangers, to those suffering in persecution, to our spouses, and to those who are our pastors. God gives us in verses 7, 17, and 24 the recipe for a perfect relationship between the pastor and his flock. It is the recipe for a long and fruitful pastorate.

Let me point out two things that give value to the man of God: first of all, his value is seen in what he does; and, secondly, his value is seen in how he musters the forces. In this message I will deal with “What he does.” Let me make something clear: Being a pastor is not a 40-hour-a-week job. It’s not a five days-a-week job, starting at 9:00 o’clock and ending at 5:00 o’clock. Most of the time, it is 10, 12, 14 hours a day, and he’s on call 24/7. Even when he takes a day off, you’re not out of his mind. From Hebrews 13, we see the pastor’s value in three areas:

1. He speaks unto you the Word of God (v. 7). Whatever else the church has to offer, nothing else comes close to this. When the preacher opens his Bible and speaks to you the Word of God, he is speaking with the same authority as if God Himself were speaking to you. You may argue with his opinions; you may even debate some of his conclusions. But when he expounds to you the Word of God, there is no debate. Nathan delivered to the king God’s message. Period. Case closed. That’s what the prophet/pastor does. You come for preaching. You come to hear the man of God open this Book unto you—the Word of God. It pleases God by the foolishness of preaching to save those who are lost. Preaching gets men under conviction; preaching gets people saved; preaching brings backsliders back to Christ; preaching makes people aware of their sin; preaching introduces people to Jesus; and preaching gets people down the aisle so that we can take them to a side room and lead them to Christ.
2. Then, too, the pastor watches over your souls (v. 17). The word “watch” comes from two words which mean to “chase away sleep.” The idea is that he dare not get sidetracked or distracted by other things. He’s got to stay focused, watching over your souls. Why? I’ll tell you why: because sheep can get themselves in trouble. They are easily led astray. They can get lost in a minute. They’re like children; sometimes they find themselves in places and situations that they can’t get out of. You may think the pastor who watches out for you is meddling. He’s not fussing with you; he’s not getting on your case. No. He is simply watching out for your soul, like Nathan was—at God’s bidding—watching out for David’s soul. Then, finally…
3. He gives direction to your life (vss. 7, 17, 24). Notice the word “rule.” Three times he uses this word to describe the responsibility and value of the pastor. Now I know we don’t like that word. It smacks of tyranny and dictatorship. But the word “to rule” here means “to guide,” or to “give direction.” Listen, folks, the pastor is not here for himself. He’s here for you. He wants you to have the full benefit of his wisdom, as well as God’s blessings on your life; he wants to guide you into green pastures and lead you beside still waters; he wants to help in the restoration of your soul, so when you walk…you need fear no evil.

Well, there it is, something about the value of the pastor. Ah, but wait a minute. None of us would be here today if it were not for another person infinitely more valuable than our pastors. Of course, I am talking about our precious Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. I would be terribly remiss, and God would be extremely upset, if I didn’t tell you about Him. He’s the Lily of the Valley, the Rose of Sharon, and the Pearl of Great Price. He’s the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, and everything in between. Without Him, we would be doomed and damned, with no hope of eternal life.

“Preach the Word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.” (II Tim.4:2)

Contact Dr. Hufhand at drldhmlh@sbcglobal.net

Lisa Kriner Peck was a member of our church in Indianapolis—as was her mother, Marie Kriner—when I was called to Thompson Road Baptist Church as pastor in 1979. When Lisa was in eighth grade, a friend had invited her to attend TRBC, where she heard the gospel, was saved, and was baptized by the church’s pastor at the time, Dr. Fred Moritz. Her mother, a single parent, began attending church and rededicated her life to the Lord.

After graduating from high school, Lisa attended Bob Jones University and received a two-year secretarial diploma, allowing her to teach in one of our local Christian schools for 15 years. For eight years, she served in our church as a secretary. Following her graduation from BJU, Lisa married a young man who was (and is) a member of our church, Matt Peck, with Yours Truly officiating. As a couple they have served the Lord faithfully for many years—Matt as a deacon and Lisa as a teacher, soloist, secretary, church clerk, and wherever needed as a “utility” person! The Pecks have two sons, Lakota and Landon.

By the time Lisa and her mother began attending TRBC in the 1970s, Lisa’s older brothers and twin sisters were adults, and her mother was a single parent. Marie, in order to support herself and Lisa, began a child-care service out of her home on Indy’s southside. She had brought up five children of her own. She was a loving, caring mother and a skilled child-care worker, very successful in her work until the Lord called her Home in 1988.

Now, to the heart of this post. Recently, on social media, Lisa received a note from the mother of one of the children who Mrs. Kriner had cared for in her child-care ministry 40 years ago. When Lisa replied to the inquiry, affirming that she was indeed the daughter of Marie Kriner—child-care “Mom” of decades ago—Lisa received the following letter:

“Your Mom has been on my mind lately…my nephew and his wife have a newborn and I was telling them how Mrs. Kriner did business.

She was so kind, so loving and she made my son his very own birthday cake when he turned three!

What a blessing to have known her! Rest assured that we remember the outstanding way she treated my son and all of the other children in her care!

May your mother’s memory be a cherished blessing! She was the best!

Kind regards,

C______”

But wait, there is more! In a follow-up letter—when this mother found out that Mrs. Kriner was without question the child-care giver who had so wonderfully cared for her son—she wrote again:

“Wow! I am just so delighted that you answered my email! Your mother, probably without realizing it, gave me and Alex a wonderful foundation on which to build our lives. Not only did I trust her implicitly, (I was a young single mother and that alone was scary) I knew that she was on my side.

Because of your mom, my faith in God was strengthened…she lived her faith daily by the way she treated others. She taught me that despite our trials, God is good and has our best interests at heart. I, to this day, believe that God allowed us to cross paths!

Alex, who will be 43 in March, remembers ‘Kriner’ very well! He loved being at her house…he felt safe there.

Your mother left a beautiful legacy…so in many ways, she is still here! I can still see her, in my  mind’s eye, in her backyard with all of the kids….

So good to hear from you! You have a lovely family and looks like you are living your best life! God bless you, dear Lisa!”

The wisest of kings once said, “Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.” (Prov. 31:10) Mrs. Kriner fit that description. For a good woman to have been remembered many years after her passing, and praised profusely by someone other than a close friend, family member, or fellow church member, merits our contemplation.

Marie Kriner never knew the impact of her influence on the lives of those she touched. Nor do we. But, for good or for ill, we impact every life we are in contact with; and the influence will never die. Let’s determine anew, with Marie Kriner’s tribute in mind, to make our words and works, no matter how largely heard or seen, count for Christ. Someone just may praise your God—decades from now—for what you meant to them in our passage through time toward eternity.

It is said that an adult lion’s roar can be heard up to five miles away. But, dear parent, your words of training and wisdom will be heard in a child’s heart, as is Mrs. Kriner’s, for decades after you have crossed over into eternity. May we perpetuate her blessed memory by following her sterling example. “Her children arise up and call her blessed.” (Prov. 31:28)

“Who can find a virtuous woman?…Strength and honor are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come.” (Prov. 31:10, 25)

(In honor of Mother’s Day this Sunday, here is a “tip of the hat” to mothers.)

We were, dear Mom, once one,
	Before my life on earth had yet begun;
With you I was as close as I could be—
	Until the cord was cut to set me free.

Yet, even then, our souls were not apart.
	With you, my Mom, we’ve lived as heart to heart.
There was a tie that bound us soul to soul,
	Apart from you, my life would not be whole.

You taught me with a touch of loving care;
	With me, your child, you’d ever gladly share.
Your touch, your smile, and ever gentle hand,
	Gave me the push to crawl, to walk, to stand.

Your words were my first lessons in life’s school;
	Without them, I’d have surely played the fool.
You’ve loved and coached me with a watchful eye,
	You made me want to live and soar on high.

The mark you left upon my soul was etched—
	On canvass was a perfect picture sketched;
You left your best of loving, caring, kind,
	Pressed firmly on the chambers of my mind.

Your power to heal, to cure, to make life right,
	Was ever present, guiding day and night;
Your counsel—always shared in truth and love—
	Was sought in secret from our God above.

You sacrificed, you gave, and gave again.
	The depth of goodness seemed to have no end;
With no conditions put on what you shared,
	We never, ever doubted that you cared.

And so, dear Mom, on this your special day,
	Just listen for a moment as we say:
“You are a ‘Mother’s Mother!’ to be sure;
	A woman—gift of God—priceless and pure.”

-Anthony Slutz

(Note: This is a continuation of the testimony of Jennifer Wilkerson, recounting how life changed for her and her husband, Rick, following an automobile collision on Christmas Day, 2000. Her lower body was completely paralyzed, and the crash also affected the use of her arms and hands. Read part one here.)

“Support—I want to mention at this point how grateful Rick and I have been and continue to be for the faithful prayer warriors in our lives. When we’ve been angry, apathetic and grieving, they have interceded. The prayers of others have buoyed us up and have been one reason we’ve been able to cope—and enjoy the blessings God has provided.

Grieving and Acceptance—Whenever someone is severely injured, what is the main concern of the medical personnel attending them?  The first thing they ask is, ‘Can you wiggle your toes?’ Paralysis seems to be a fate worse than death to many. God’s arms support me when I’ve lost the unthinkable—mobility. The first memory I have of realizing the severity of my injury was while working with one of the therapists at hospital number two, who I sensed was trying to tell me something. In the course of our conversation the realization struck that she didn’t think I’d ever be able to walk again. More than once I imagined myself kneeling at the foot of the cross, trying somehow to come to terms with everything. In so doing, reality seemed so harsh as I repeated over and over, ‘Jesus, this is what you planned for me! This is your best for me!’ After a while, grief would give way to peace.

Insight—A friend who lost not only a child but her husband expressed in a blog post, ‘So many of you have commented to me how amazing and strong I am…I want to be real with you, so you may see the power Christ has in my life. Sometimes I feel like I am clinging to the pieces of my life so tight that my arms go numb from pain…I fear dropping a piece, even if that piece is gone already…it is just memories.’ I remember only a few months after my injury the sudden realization that I’d forgotten what it was like to walk…like forgetting what a loved one looked like after they’d gone because you don’t have a picture.

The Reason for My Hope—I Peter 3:15 encourages me to ‘always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear.’ (NKJV) I want everyone who reads this to know that the source of the supernatural strength that has enabled me to not only endure these past (25) years but see a purpose in them, rejoice in victories and triumphs, and even thank my Heavenly Father for allowing the circumstances that were used to draw me close to Him and turn my attention to eternity—despite shedding many, many tears and struggling harder than I have in my entire life, with frustration and griefs that couldn’t even be shared here—is only possible because of my relationship with Him, and I’d like to share how this came about.

There was a time in my life when I learned about salvation and heaven, which God freely offers to anyone who comes to Him with a repentant heart. Two Bible verses, Ephesians 2:8,9, tell us that: ‘For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.’ (NKJV)

And, Romans 6:23 talks about how: ‘The gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord.’ (NKJV) I also realized I’d disobeyed God’s laws and therefore was a sinner. The Bible talks about this in Romans 3:23: ‘For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.’ (NKJV) When we think of sin, we might think of outwardly visible things like murder, adultery, cheating, etc. However, it also involves inward transgressions of God’s law like pride, hatred, lust, envy, anger, and bitterness.

We know it is right for God to judge wrong…the principle of justice is wired into our being. If a man broke into your house and robbed you, it would only be right that this person be brought to justice. God, by His very nature is just and must punish sin and evil.

But, He is also a loving God! John 3:16 tells us: ‘God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.’ (NKJV)

God solved this dilemma in the person of Jesus Christ. God the Son took on humanity at His birth. He lived a sinless life because He is 100% God. He walked on earth for 33 years as a man. God’s plan from eternity past was to send His Son, Jesus, to die in the place of those that had sinned against Him (that would be all of us!). Isaiah 53:6says, ‘All we like sheep have gone astray: We have turned every one, to his own way; And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.’ (NKJV)

We need to receive this gift of God, this grace, by faith. Jesus has paid the price for every sin you have, and ever will commit. God wants us to give up our efforts to earn salvation by being ‘good’ enough, acknowledging that we have sinned against Him and ask His forgiveness based on what Jesus did on the cross alone.

If you have not already, will you believe Christ died for your sins, and ask Him to be your Savior and receive Him as I did? You will not only live forever with Him in heaven but have strength for your trials and joy in your journey here on earth. Don’t go through life without Him!”

“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name.” (NKJV)

Write Jennifer Wilkerson and let her know how her story has impacted you. Her email address is wilkerite@sbcglobal.net.