Common Sense Commentary: In the early 1980's, we had bought a large two story store-front building on the main east-west highway (West Tennessee St.) near down-town Tallahassee, Fla. in which to start a Rescue Mission. We were looking for a director who wouldn't give up easily and was a scripturally sound soul winner.We found Danny Heaberlin operating a small mission in South Florida. Danny's primary spiritual gift was "soul winning", which is evangelism. He had served a hitch in the army and brought home a wonderful Korean wife, "Cha". He had since served as a fishing boat captain and had some on the ground job training at heavy drinking. One day his little daughter convinced him to go to the church she attended as a bus kid. Danny and Cha were saved there and God led them into a ministry to "Rescue The Perishing" down on Skid Row. Not many Christians are qualified, by experience, in dealing with heavy drinkers, drug addicts, the down and out and real high caliber lost souls. Danny had the right credentials and experience in the field, and told me, "Pastor, I'm not perfect, but I'll get the job done", and he did. Cha, his wife, had tons of experience... dealing with Danny, and instantly became indispensable at our "Haven Of Rest" Rescue Mission. She cooked, cleaned, ran the thrift store and even planted a flower garden at the front door. No one will ever know the price Cha paid to help Danny run that mission, plus raise three small children. Cha is a saint and Tallahassee should see that she is taken care of since her loss of Danny. A man is expected to handle some impossible missions, but a wife and mother with three children should not have to endure what she and the children endured at the mission. I love Danny and Cha ... and their children, and nobody could ever repay them for their sacrifices and hardships in dealing with that element of society. I, frankly, could never have done what Danny and Cha did in Tallahassee for the good of the city and the glory of God. Danny had a calling I never had. He and Cha had strengths very few people have. I am not saying they were perfect or never made mistakes or did everything exactly right, but neither did I, as a Pastor ... and neither did you. That is what God meant when He gave the Apostle Paul this verse for those very imperfect Corinthians, in 1 Cor.1:27 ..."...God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty." he was talking about Danny and me... and you, if you are saved and try to serve Him. None of us deserve to have a place of service to our Savior, a calling, a ministry. The writer of Hebrews listed all of the heroes of the faith from Abel to Rahab the harlot, to the prophets, priests and kings who were used of God and concluded their lives, ministries and accomplishments ... "... out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens." Heb.11:34.
"And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in (your) weakness." 2 Cor.12:9.
No, my good friend, Danny Heaberlin was not a perfect man, and neither am I, but he probably won more souls to Christ, one at a time, than any pastor in Tallahassee ... including me. So who does God use in His Christian service? Not so much "ability" as "availability".
As Danny and Cha's pastor for many years, I commend them both and ask of you that you put in a good word and a few dollars for Cha. Her Korean is still better than her English but she is worthy of anything Tallahassee can do for her. RB
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