Dec 25, 2012

A Christmas Day Memory, When Heaven Came Down Again

Common Sense Commentary: Today is Christmas, 2012.  Our 70+ children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren are scattered from Florida to Washington State and from New Hampshire to California ... with Headquarters (Papa & Grandma) in Texas.  Our children all have grandchildren and are celebrating Christmas with some of their own.  We have had our Christmas, here, with our son Ron and Cindy and their children and grandchildren. So, Bettie and I are locked into a warm home in a snow storm.  We are not envious of those traveling on the highways, airways or byways.

Checking my email this morning, I had several notices from Facebook of comments to comments addressed to me. One of them was from an old friend, out of the past, named Tucker Williams. A picture of Tucker and his dear wife, Betty, was attached.  The greatest blessings I get, in these latter years, are those like this one from Tucker.


Tucker Williams wrote: "A Christmas Gift. Preacher, I will never forget the day you lead me to Christ Jesus and baptized me that night in TBC."


My response:
Tucker, what a Christmas present on this cold Christmas Day. I rejoice, in Jesus, to hear your kind words and remembrance of your salvation and baptism at wonderful old Temple, many years ago, when I was pastor there.  As the years have passed, the truth of those blessed days fades in the public mind, and perception, imagination and flawed memory take it's place. But, it matters not. As the Apostle Paul said in 2 Cor.1:1-6, to paraphrase, "Do I need to commend myself or ask for letters of commendation? No, you are my letter of commendation, written in our hearts for the world to read.  All of you who were saved and baptised, under our ministry, are epistles of Christ, not written with ink but by the Holy Spirit. And not written on tablets of stone, but upon the fleshly tablets of the heart. Not that we are sufficient within ourselves to think anything of ourselves, but our sufficiency is of God ... who made us able ministers of the New Testament ...." I love you brother, and will in eternity.  RB

Let me address this, also, to all of you who were saved and served there at Temple Baptist Church during those thirty years in Tallahassee, Florida. You were, and are still, a blessing to Mrs. Blair and me.  We will love all of you for eternity. RB

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Well, I wasn't saved under your preaching at TBC nor Arlington TX but John and I were blessed under your ministry. We sure did, and I still do, love you and Bettie. You
were so sweet and kind. Maybe Bettie more than you. LOL

Love and Best Wishes to you and Bettie, Happy New Year.
In Christ,
Mary