Going Off To College

It was almost 35 years ago that I set out for Waco, Texas in my 1963 Studebaker to attend Baylor University. I believed it was God's will, ( and I still do) so I said good-bye to Mom, Dad, Jan, and Chris, and I started my journey. It was not just a trip to Texas and to Baylor; it was my trip into the life God had laid out for me. When I got to the Alabama line, I pulled over and cried for a minute, not just because I was a bit sad, but I had all kinds of emotions. Dad had told me to stop for the night in a safe place, not in Bossier City, Louisiana, because he had heard it was a rough town. I made better time than I thought I would, so I made it all the way to Waco in one day. I spent the night in a motel on the other side of I-35 from Baylor, since the dorm did not open until the next day. I remember it being so quiet in that room and the only thing on TV was the movie, The Old Man and the Sea. I left it on just for the noise, until I calmed down and went to sleep. The next morning I began moving my stuff into Kokernot Hall room 251. I made a load or two up the steps with a few other people who were already there. Right before I left the room for another arm load of my belongings, I knelt by the bed and asked God to send me a friend. When I opened my eyes and began to stand up, there he was. I forget his name now, but he was the young man who ultimately helped me find my first church position. We ate lunch at A&W Root Beer that day, and we explored around Waco and even out to the lake. Well, the rest is history. God saw me through my degree at Baylor and the seminary, and I have been a pastor for 32 years. It has all been because of the Lord's direction and power. I give Him the glory, even though I know there have been many people praying for me all of the way.

This evening at 7:15 PM I picked up our young friend, Luis Bueno, at the Atlanta airport. He had flown from his home and family in Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic, because God had answered his prayers to attend college in the USA to study music. He is a gifted pianist. When he got to our house he called his mother to tell her he was OK, and it made me think about the trip he is making and how God could use him in the future. Would you join me in being one of the many who will pray for Luis as he attends Columbus State in Columbus, GA? I believe that God will answer our prayers just as He has answered mine over the years, and He will prepare Luis to be used in a great way.

Tomorrow, I intend to read Psalms 33-34 and Acts 24.