Old friends can often teach us something new
How many times have you heard people say life isn’t fair? Maybe it isn’t supposed to be. Some people are born into privilege. Others are born into poverty. The rest of us lie somewhere in between.
Regardless of the situation we were born into, we can always find someone who had it better. We can also find some that had it worse. Birth defines no one. Neither does death. Those are two things we can’t control. What defines us are the things we say and do in between those two defining moments. There are some who like to blame where they come from as an excuse for their poor decisions and poor behavior. In a stretch, one might find a touch of truth in this up to a certain age. But at some point, in all our lives, we must take responsibility for our own actions.
I’ve known the Rev. Charles Davis for many years. I’ve known of him even longer because of his dedication to visiting patients at Northside Hospital Cherokee. His visits weren’t to only those he knew and worshipped with. They were to anyone and everyone who would want or need prayer. His visitors were also treated with a kind word. From time to time he stops by to see us at work. He never
“‘It was tough at times. but we made it. God is good.’ The look on his face as he spoke of those hard times was one of fondness. There was no bitterness. There was only love for the memories he still has.”
asked for anything and rarely has a reason for being there. His visits are just to say hello and have prayer with us. Each time, he leaves us with kind words of wisdom to live by if we would only listen. We received one such visit this week that allowed us a few more minutes to talk than usual. Those precious minutes allowed me to get to know more about my friend.
Many pastors retire at a certain age and leave those duties to a younger generation. Rev. Davis is 90 years old and still pastoring Canton Community Church. This means he is doing all the things associated with pastoring. There are a lot of preachers. Not all of them are called to pastor. There are probably some churches that have experienced this. Preaching and pastoring just “ain’t” the same thing. Rev. Davis is both. God has blessed him in his ministry. He has found success in his ministry because of his humble spirit. Those who don’t know him might think he’s always had enough and more to give others. That isn’t the case.
Rev. Davis told me on this visit about his upbringing. Knowing him, I listened and waited on him to tell me about his middleclass raising. My perception was quite different from the reality. There were times in his life when there was no food in the home. I’m talking about times his family didn’t eat. This dreadful situation led to him being placed in an orphanage for five years. It’s hard to imagine what that could have done to his mindset. Some might have gone on to live a dreadful life blaming it on their upbringing. Rev. Davis looked me in the eye and said, “It was tough at times. But we made it. God is good.” The look on his face as he spoke of those hard times was one of fondness. There was no bitterness. There was only love for the memories he still has.
After joining the military, he took clothes that needed mended to the cleaners. When he saw the girl behind the counter, he said he knew she was the girl he was going to marry. It wasn’t until after he accepted Jesus into his heart did his desire become a reality. He married his wife Eva 71 years ago. To this day, they still love each other and continue serving the Lord and the community we call home. Rev. Davis said with a grin she’s his first wife. Time hasn’t taken away his sense of humor. Nor has it taken his desire to lead others to Christ. When he speaks of this, there’s a twinkle in his eye. Mrs. Davis has no doubt spent many hours alone while her husband answered the many calls and requests he’s received. I’m sure she didn’t know that when she married. Nevertheless, she has stuck with her husband through thick and thin. She has answered her own call.
Rev. Davis said he tried to leave the ministry one time to search after worldly gain. In a short time, he returned to the ministry. The gifts and callings of God are without repentance.