November is a special month to me in many ways. I have always loved November.
Obviously November is “Thanksgiving month”, and I do have
much to be thankful for – every month,
but certainly in November.
First there are the wonderful memories of growing up as part
of a family who loved to get together at Thanksgiving time. In our family, as I was growing up, we would
generally drive to Mamaw and Papaw Stidham’s house in Logan, WV to celebrate
the holiday with our Stidham cousins who lived close by, and some years with
our Wilson cousins, who were able to come in from Texas. It was always a joyous time, with a great
Turkey and Ham feast, lots of fun for the kids to play together, and lots of
laughter for the adults.
As my grandparents passed from the scene, and Linda and I
were raising a family of our own, the holiday destination became “Hatfield and
McCoy” territory along the WV/KY border at the home of her parents in Buskirk,
KY. Their large family would gather in,
with some traveling hundreds of miles to be together at Thanksgiving. Great food, fun and fellowship was the order
of the day. Then, we would then usually celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday a
day later with my Mom and Dad in Huntington.
Last Thanksgiving, Mom and Dad had dinner with us at our
house in Ashland. This year they are
both with the Lord.
Those days are long gone now, but I cherish the memories
more than I ever thought I might.
November also is the month when we celebrate the birthday of
our 3rd Grandson, Canon, who was born in New Orleans in 2004.
Concurrent with his birth, it was also the very same week
that I was diagnosed as having “Stage 4, Incurable Colon Cancer”. My life changed drastically on that Monday
after Thanksgiving, 2004. We were told
that the “average survival time” for my type of cancer and the stage it was in
was 18 – 22 months. Statistics showed
that only 15 percent of patients in my category survive for five years.
This month I will celebrate my 10th year of
survival. Praise God for the miraculous
healing He has granted me!
November is also the month when I was called in 2002 to
serve the congregation of Westmoreland Baptist Church as Pastor. Now, after twelve years, a cancer diagnosis,
partial amputations, more than 1800 sermons, 21 weddings, 108 baptisms,
countless hospital, nursing home, and other visits, and 140 funerals, I am
still blessed to be the longest serving pastor in the ninety nine year history
of this church. The twelve years I have
served this congregation have been the most precious of my 64 years on the
planet,.
I am obviously thankful for my wonderful wife, children and
grandchildren. For my home, for my
health, for my many friends, for opportunity to serve the state convention as
president for two terms, for the opportunity to serve on the New Orleans
Baptist Theological Seminary Board of Trustees for eight years, for the 13
short term mission trips I have been able to make to the Philippines, as well
as Disaster Relief trips and mission work in Canada. I am thankful that I have had opportunity to serve the Lord in
several churches in Kentucky and West Virginia, and to continue to serve what I
believe to be the greatest church with the most precious people anywhere. I am thankful for the fine staff members
whom I have served along side of for these past twelve years.
I am thankful for a life of blessing as well as the
challenges that came with them.
But I am most thankful for the personal relationship I have
with the Sovereign God of the Universe, through His Son, Jesus Christ. He has forgiven my sins… given me an
abundant life of joy and peace here… and reserved a home in Glory, for me,
FOREVER.
Yep. I’m ready to
celebrate Thanksgiving – on the specific holiday later this month – and the
other 364 days of the year as well!
How about you?
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