Worship service brings back memories
Precious memories are one of God’s greatest gifts. Memories often come when we least expect them. However, they come, they are a reminder of moments in our lives that meant enough to stick with us. The hurt from bad memories sometimes lessens with time. I am thankful for this. On the other hand, good memories become sweeter the longer we have them. This has been my experience.
A few weeks ago, I visited New Hope Baptist Church. It is always a privilege to worship with a couple I have much respect for. Robert and Betty Barber are two of the kindest people on the planet. New Hope has many wonderful parishioners.
I just happen to know the Barbers better than I do some of the others. Their daughter, Lisa Honea, and I, went to high school together.
While no one on earth is perfect, if you are in a bind, the Barbers are folks you want praying for you.
My job has given me the absolute honor of working with Robert on occasion. In his early eighties, he still works like a man half his age. He looks much younger than he is. There have been several times I have told him I strive every day to be more like him. He always tells me I am setting the bar way too low. While I respect his opinion on most anything, he is wrong about setting the bar too low. If the Barbers are not at church when the doors are open, someone needs to check on them. They are faithful in support of their church family.
While visiting that Sunday, it was announced the gospel group The Nelons would be
singing later in the evening. I decided to go. When Robert saw me for the second time in one day, I am not sure, but I believe he checked the sky for thunderclouds. As I sat and listened to the music, my mind ventured back to my youth. Looking around the church, I saw several people I knew. One of the people I knew was Pat Garrison. This took me back to the late seventies and early eighties.
As a teenager, I spent many hours at the home of Robert and Pat Garrison. Their son
Andy and I were as close as brothers at one time. How those relationships change through the years mystifies me. Nothing negative ever happened to cause the change. Life just has its own way of leading us in different directions. It happens all the time. It happens to all of us. Nevertheless, I miss the close friendship we had.
Robert passed away in 2010. His death hurt all who knew him. When I was a teen, Mama and Daddy were always fine with me being at the Garrison’s home. They knew them and the kind of people they were, and Pat still is. When in their home, I was always safe. There was also the fact they would make me behave. My parents would not have had it any other way.
Robert and Pat had a gift I will never figure out. If Andy and I got into something we
were not supposed to, they would know it before we walked in the door. And I can tell you, when it happened, the scolding was no different than the one I would have gotten at home.
Whether they shared any of those times with my parents, I will never know. And at 59 years old, I am still too scared to ask.
As Andy and I aged and matured, I also have memories of having prayer with Robert,
Pat, and Andy in their insurance office. If prayer was called for, Robert and Pat were the kind who prayed right then. Being at work had no effect on their decision to do so. For years, they have been to Macedonia Baptist Church what Robert and Betty Barber are to New Hope. Our community is full of people like this. I meant to talk to Pat before I left that night and thank her for the precious memories. She left before I had the chance. If she reads this, she will know. If she does not, maybe someone will tell her.
I have been scolded by the Garrisons as a teen. I have prayed and worshipped with them as an adult. How important have they been to my life? I have written over 500 columns since 2012. Robert Garrison and his family were the very first one I wrote and was published in the paper. Memories of this great family will forever shine in my heart.