This week I have had the privilege of sharing God’s Word with the faith family at Mt. Olive Baptist Church in Marshville, NC. The photo above is my morning view as I sit on the front porch of our lodging for the week. What a blessing for me and Teresa to be here once again with Pastor Tim Moore and his wife, Libby.

A most blessed part of this week has been seeing some dear friends who were members of churches I have served in the past. Jimmy and Jean Flake, Chuck and Bobbie Payne, Travis and Kathy Evans, along with fellow pastor Johnnie Williams and his wife, Judy. Seeing these precious people from our past has caused me to think back over those forty years of ministry, and remember just how blessed I have been to serve churches in both Carolinas and Texas. Many, many individuals and families crowd my mind as I take a mental stroll through those years gone by.

Sadly, however, to my shame, I have lost contact with most of the members of those churches. With the exception of a very small number of individuals and families, I have little to no contact with the vast majority of those church members. As Teresa and I made our way from our home in Tennessee to be in Marshville, NC, this week, we began to think about some individuals who were so dear to us in those bygone years, and are still precious memories as we allow our minds to wander. But, they are just that: memories. Cherished memories, of course, but just memories none-the-less.

That grieves my heart. Let me share a few stories that will illustrate my point. Travis and Kathy Evans were members of Sutton Park Baptist Church in Monroe, NC. I only served as pastor of that particular church for about four years, but in that span of time Teresa and I grew extremely close to the Evans. Travis and I spent a good bit of time fishing together. We didn’t catch many fish, but what wonderful conversations we shared. Chuck and Bobbie Payne were members of two churches I had the privilege to serve: Crestview Baptist (seven years), and New Horizon Community Church (thirteen years). For twenty years I had the privilege of not only being their pastor, but of being friends. Jimmy and Jean Flake were (and still are) members of Deep Creek Baptist Church. Jimmy was always ready to go with me as we went fishing for men in the community.

There are countless others I could mention, and I only mention these because they have blessed me with their presence as I have preached at Mt. Olive this week. And it causes me to have deep regrets for not maintaining some sort of correspondence with people who have impacted my life in enormous ways.

Just a couple more examples as my mind continues to review the past. Donnie and Judy Gamble were (and are) great friends. Teresa and I had so many enjoyable times with this precious couple. Donnie and I served as pastors of churches in Monroe, NC, and we developed a most unique bond of friendship. Teresa and I spent quite a bit of time having such fun with Donnie and Judy. However, what I remember most about Donnie is that he was willing to confront me when he saw an area of my life that needed attention. I won’t go into detail here, but it was this great friend whom God used to save my marriage. Yes, dear and precious memories indeed.

Just one more couple I will mention out of the host of others I could choose to talk about. Mike and Marilyn Grenfell were friends of ours in Texas. When Teresa and I moved to Dallas for me to further my education, I met Mike as fellow students at Criswell College. Knowing that we were far from home, with no family or friends to spend time with, they invited us to celebrate Thanksgiving with them on our first holiday away from family. This started a friendship that has now spanned over thirty years. Teresa and I have so many memories of our time spent with the Grenfells. But again, my greatest memory of Mike is that he was a friend who would “get in my face” when I needed to hear a stern word. And he was also there for me when the dark clouds of life hovered above. For instance, when I learned that my grandfather had passed away, Mike drove me back to South Carolina to be with my family. And, yes, he drove all the way because I was too sick to drive myself.

I cherish the memories, and I am deeply ashamed that I did not do a better job of putting forth the effort to carry on with those friendships that I now hold so dear. If I started listing other friends from my past the list would be quite long. If you are reading this and you happen to be one of those that I have crossed paths with in the past, but we, for some reason, have lost contact, please know that any and all memories I have of you bring a smile to my face and joy to my heart. And, as I bring this blog to a close, I am saying a prayer for you. I may not call you by name, but I pray for all those from my past who have touched my, encouraged me, stood by me in difficult and dark days, mentored me, and showed a million ways of being true friends. Thank you!

And, I’ll close by asking a favor of you: if you are one of those with whom Teresa and I have crossed paths in the past, it would make my heart sing if you would just say hello in response to this blog. Just seeing your name would once again flood my heart with sweet memories of the past. Thanks in advance for taking a moment to do that.