Reflecting on the Journey
Dick Bennett / Caring Network Pastor
Serving the Lord has been a life-long journey for me. It started on July 6, 1956 in a small Wesleyan church near Troy, New York. I confessed my sins to Jesus, repented, believed, and received Him as my Savior. Those are the four points we teach as qualifications for baptism: confess, repent, believe, receive.
Serving the Lord has been a life-long journey for me. It started on July 6, 1956 in a small Wesleyan church near Troy, New York. I confessed my sins to Jesus, repented, believed, and received Him as my Savior. Those are the four points we teach as qualifications for baptism: confess, repent, believe, receive.
One week later He called me into the ministry. It has been a wonderful journey, and He has been with me all the way, hills and valleys, ups and downs, thick and thin. As the song writer says, “some through the waters, some through the flood, some through the fire, but all through the blood.” Another favorite song of mine is by the great hymn writer, Ira Stanphill called, “Follow Me.” We sang it at our Hymn Sing on November 11, when we honored our veterans.
Although I’m cutting back on my time committed to working at Eastern Hills to one day per week, I’m still on the journey. I’ll never “cut back” on serving my Master. I will still look for new opportunities where I can be involved as a volunteer in God’s army, both here and elsewhere, wherever He may give the call to go. That’s what I told Him in 1956, and it hasn’t changed.
Although I’m cutting back on my time committed to working at Eastern Hills to one day per week, I’m still on the journey. I’ll never “cut back” on serving my Master. I will still look for new opportunities where I can be involved as a volunteer in God’s army, both here and elsewhere, wherever He may give the call to go. That’s what I told Him in 1956, and it hasn’t changed.
I have no regrets; just praise for all He has done for me (and my life-long bride). We still have unfinished business, and we want to be lights that shine in a very dark world. We have family that are not yet “in the fold”, so as long as God lends us breath we will proclaim His goodness and share His plan of salvation with all who will hear and heed. Eternal life with or without God weighs in the balance.