Love and Synergy: Words Dedicated to Family and Friends

Yvonnia, Jimmy, and I sat huddled together, hoping to create an invisible cocoon that might protect us from the cold temperature around us.  To take our minds away from our discomfort, we blew our warm breaths into the cold air, creating puffs of smoke.  Mom and Dad were too preoccupied with building a fire in the potbelly stove to pay attention to our playful antics.

“It’ll get warm in here soon,” Dad said offhandedly while putting more wood into the stove.

“Mmm hmm,” I mumbled under my breath.

I heard that last Sunday too, and it took almost an hour before I gathered enough courage to venture away from the pew that sat closest to the stove.

However, Dad did not mind rustling about in the cold.  He was too focused on making sure the church would be warm in time for the morning service.  Mom helped by bringing in wood as Dad added piece after piece to create a roaring fire.

This was only one of the tasks Dad took on while serving as pastor of Pioneer Baptist Church in Pioneer, Tennessee, for twenty-five years.  During his leadership, the church was not affiliated with a governing body.  Dad had discovered a vacant building and made arrangements to begin services with only eleven members.  Therefore, it was left up to them to financially support the church, as well as to maintain its structure.  And Dad did his share in making sure the church was presentable.  Curiously, Dad doing his share often meant our involvement too.  I can question that now, but dared not to then.  Dad took his position very seriously and expected us to do so as well.