Back in Time!!!

This week Mark shared some fabulous news with me.  Pastor Bays and Ms. Dot are back in NC.  Pastor Bays was my pastor during my teenage years at Forest Hills Baptist Church.  He left and went to Alabama while I was away at school.  Church for me was never the same when I came home.  The excitement had left our church, and church is never the same while you are searching for a pastor.  After all the flock is missing its under shepherd.  I married a preacher and we started our journey in the ministry.  We would go and minister at churches and then leave, and I often wondered what impact that had on some of the people.  I now know, a big impact on some as I have reconnected with members on Facebook.

Not that I worshiped Pastor Bays, but I learned lots of things under his ministry.  He and Ms. Dot had a genuine love for their flock, and it showed.  I felt like I grew under his ministry, after all he is the one who took us to Fruitland for my first glimpse of where the Lord would lead me (also where I met Mark).  He was so passionate about the Lord and his euthesism was catching.  I still have the bible the church gave me for graduation.  I carried it from 1989 until 2002 when the cover came completely off.  I remember the verse written in the front.  It was Joshua 1:8 "Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful."  I know the church nor the pastor realized just how much I would read and reread this passage of scripture over the years.

Our pastor, Jim Herchenhahn, is doing a revival in Roseboro this week.  Guess where??  At Pastor Bays' church.  I was thrilled when Mark told me this (he is such the little detective).  We made plans to attend on Monday night.  I could not wait!!! Finally after 20 years, I was going to get to see Mr. and Mrs. Bays.  I got my bible and my camera and off to Roseboro we went.

My biggest amazement was that The Bays' looked just like they did at Forest Hills 20 years ago.

I promise you that they looked just like this when I was 16 at Forest Hills Baptist.

After we gabbed and somewhat caught up before the service, we sat with Ms. Dot and waited to hear Pastor Herchenhahn's sermon.  First though, Mr. Bays led the singing before the sermon.  He started out by saying one side was going to sing one thing and the other side was going to sing another phrase.  While singing, I was whisked away to a time in my past.  I was 16 years old sitting beside Ms. Dot at Forest Hills.  It was a flash back into a time that I treasure in my life.  All these memories came back....past sermons, songs, Dexter, outings, homecoming, singings and practical jokes played by none other than the pastor and wife.  It was wonderful seeing them again.  I am so glad that they are close by.

I am totally thrilled to be standing between these two people.  My heart was filled with so much excitement in anticipation of seeing them again.

The icing on the cake was that my current pastor, Pastor Herchenhahn, was there as well.   We just love Pastor Herchenhahn and Ms. Jean so much.  We are growing and learning so much under his ministry. So, I got to be in the same service as my two favorite pastors.  It was a wonderful evening.