Between the farmhouse and the First Baptist Church of Fort Valley was a seven mile stretch of rugged, dust-choked road that snaked around cotton fields, over a rickety bridge and through a pecan orchard or two. In good weather the road was dirt, other times mud. But rain or shine, Mr. Shoemate traversed this way every Sunday morning without fail.

I never met Mr. Shoemate, but I thought about him when I read Hebrews 11:4, which tells us that “By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.”

You see, a generation ago Mr. Shoemate decided to make a difference in the life of an eight-year-old Georgia farm boy by picking him up every week and taking him into town for Sunday school. Because of Mr. Shoemate’s simple faithfulness, that boy, who is my father, one day accepted Christ. He later became a pastor and a missionary, touching many lives in Australia and across Europe. In Eastern Europe, my father with his mission teams organized city-wide meetings where thousands came to Christ. Today he leads a mission organization of over 1,000 missionaries in 82 countries of the world. Mr. Shoemate died without ever having visited those places, but I believe he was there just the same.

As I contemplate my spiritual heritage, I sometimes wonder where I would be had Mr. Shoemate not made the effort to take a gangly kid down a rough road into town so many years ago.

The ministry of reaching men for Christ continues through the gifts given by some who long ago went to be with the Lord. Like Abel and yes-like Mr. Shoemate-they still speak, even though dead.

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Jim Ray works on staff in estate planning for the University of Missouri.

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Hebrews 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

MR JOHN & DOROTHY HALSEY -  INTERNATIONAL REPRESENTATIVE
WILLIAM A & ELIZABETH HAMILTON -  MILITARY - ITALY
NEAL & JERRI HAMPTON -  USA - NEVADA