Art was an older man who was a member of a church of which I was the pastor in north Louisiana. He passed away a couple of years ago, but I was thinking about him recently. He gave me several things that I will always remember.
One day, he gave to me a traveler’s shoe-shine brush and pointed out how important it is for a man to have polished shoes. He wasn’t trying to tell me that my shoes were not polished, he was just reenforcing what we both knew. Last week I saw the brush that he gave me and I thought of him.
He gave to me a book of Soren Kierkeggard’s writings, telling me of the powerful influence that this Christian philosopher had upon his life. Art’s recommendation pushed me to read from this outstanding thinker.
He gave me a compliment after a church finance committee meeting one evening. That word of encouragement came to me on a day that I needed to hear a positive word. It’s amazing how we remember words of affirmation for so long after they are spoken.
He gave me the gift of friendship. There was a pretty big difference in our age. But he would regularly stop by the church office to tell a quick joke, to visit and to catch up on things.
God is so good to us. By His grace, many things come our way, including the blessings of a good friend.