I Am Thankful

Colossians 3:15 NKJV "And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful."

The older I get the more thankful I become for precious friends who have been mentors and supporting partners in my ministerial journey. Without their support, prayers, and friendship it would have been a very lonesome path.

My dad was my first inspiration. The next 6 weeks were his favorite time of the year. This will be our 26th Christmas without him. You never stop counting the time when you lose one of your best friends and when the Lord took him home He took mine. He was my first mentor and example of what a Christian should be and how a pastor ought to live. Was he perfect? No, but he was one of the best examples of a believer that I ever knew. He was so young when the Lord called him home, but his legacy lives on.

I. C. Morris, Jr. was another mentor of mine. A great pastor, leader, and friend. He loved God, the Church of God, his family, and his congregations. He had a way about him that stood out and pastored some of the largest churches in our movement in that day. It was he that taught me how to help a congregation grow and allowed me enough leeway to become creative and inventive with our music, worship, and media. We had a lot of "firsts" in the Church of God in North Carolina back in the 70's under his leadership. I am thankful I was his friend and associate.

Bobby and Peggy Johnson also had a great influence over my life. Sister Peggy went home to be with the Lord a number of years ago, but Brother Johnson is still pastoring in Mauldin today. Brother Johnson offered me my first church staff position and was very kind to Becky and I. Sister Peggy was my buffer, my protector, and my friend. They both had such an impact on my life that even at my age I still honor Pastor Johnson as my elder and not just a peer in ministry.

I also give thanks for good church men like Brother Shirley, Turner, Murphy, Nave, Taft, Clark, Birch, Beard, Sanford, Thomas, Calhoun, Ramsey, Thackston, and many others who stood with me through thick and thin in the churches I have served. These men were there when I needed them and did whatever was needed when asked to help perpetuate the Kingdom of God. Without the great men and women of God our churches could not have done in the past what they did or today what they are continuing to do.

Sometimes I get very sad when I think about them not being with us, but I rejoice and am very thankful that one day I will see them again if I serve the Lord. That's why I am so thankful today and encourage to be as well. Take the time to remember those who have mentored or assisted you to where you are in ministry today. Be thankful for what they taught you and pass it on to the next generation. It is surely something worth sharing.