Personal Reflection

A few days ago I was presented with a bittersweet opportunity. I had the awesome privilege to share my condolences with the family of a retired Minister who had spent many years sharing the message of the Gospel with various communities and congregations in the state of Kentucky. I also considered this man and his family friends who have played a very important role in my life and the lives of my family. Friendship within the family of God is often overlooked as a very important aspect and asset of the family of God. We often develop these friendships and do not fully identify the depth of them until something happens that changes the dynamics of that particular relationship. I want to publicly thank all of those "special" people who have befriended me through the many years of my Christian journey. I am truly blessed and thankful that God placed these individuals in my life at the right time during my journey through life. Their individual investment in my life has made a lasting impact and I will carry their memories with me until the very end of my earthly life.

 

There is also another personal reflection that I want to make concerning this brother in Christ who entered his eternal reward a few days ago. I learned a valuable lesson as I reflected on his life and the impact that he made on me. He was a man of consistent character and integrity. He was a man that demonstrated a consistent and dedicated relationship with Christ and He treated people (and I was one of them) with respect and sincere appreciation. I shared those feelings with some of the family members as we shared memories with one another at the funeral home. I wanted his wife, his children and his grandchildren to be able to recognize that their family member had made an impact on my life. I did not purposefully set out to examine or critique this man's life; but his life of consistency did garner my attention. And over a period of time this consistency made a lasting impact on me and I have chosen to learn from his life. I want to practice a lifestyle of consistent Christianity in which people can not only hear me speak about my relationship with God but they can also see that relationship put into practice. God uses various means to teach us important truths and God uses various means to remind us of those important truths. I want to thank Arnold Harper for reminding me of the importance of a consistent relationship with Jesus Christ.