"Doc"

Hebrews 13: 7

“Remember your leaders who spoke the Word of God to you.  Consider the outcome of their way of life

and imitate their faith.”

I was blessed to have a group of amazing youth ministers during my middle and high school years.  They put up with a lot.  They took us on missions trips and taught us how to share our faith.  They played basketball and taught us how to play practical jokes.  They taught us to pray and to study the Bible independently.  I occasionally hear where these men have ended up and what ministries they have continued.

Our son is attending a Christian University.  He has had to take many classes revolving around ministry.  He has taken Greek classes, Biblical studies, theology classes and many others for his major of pastoral leadership.  I had the blessing of visiting with him the day he had to “preach” in his class.  He asked that I not come in but rather wait outside his class for him to finish. 

He kept mentioning “Doc” as his professor of this class.  I asked him “Doc’s” name.  When he told me, I recognized it as one of my youth pastor’s.  When the doors to our son’s class opened following his preaching I walked in.

“Doc” was busy talking with students. I went and stood near my son waiting for an opportunity to “reintroduce” myself.  (Drew had assured me it had been at least 30 years since “Doc” had seen me and he would surely not recognize or remember me.)

I was the only female amongst the “preacher boys” who remained in the room.  Somehow posed in that middle school posture of days gone by, I waited for “Doc” to acknowledge me. He scanned the room as he chatted with each of his eager students.

“Doc” seemed to be deep in conversation when his eyes landed on mine.  His  facial expression changed as he darted away from that preacher boy saying, “We have a very important guest!”  He marched over to me and threw his arms around me.

“Doc” began to cry as he made the connection that Drew is my son.  He began to tell stories of his early ministry.  Remembering prayers we had said for his son during a life-threatening illness, trips we had gone on, roles and responsibilities we had had.

During a lull in our conversation Drew spoke up.  He looked at “Doc” and said, “Because of what you taught my mom almost three decades ago, this morning I did what you taught her.  I do my devotions the way you taught her when she was a young middle school student.”

That was the moment we realized the power of influence.  The ripple affects of one small stone have impact beyond our imagination.  I’m thankful “Doc” didn’t look down on his humble beginnings.  I’m thankful he was willing to raise the bar to encourage a bunch of snotty nosed ragamuffin “tweens.”

“Doc” may never had known this side of eternity the real influence and impact he has had. But God in His goodness allowed us to all recognize that the moment of today can reach further into our future than we realize.