Blessed to Reach

The world looks at Christians and says, “Whatever you profess, just keep it to yourselves and let us, citizens of the world, believe what we wish!” Well, as Christians, we know we cannot do this. We have a commission: “Go ye therefore and TEACH/REACH all nations.” We have been so blessed in America where we are free to teach and reach anyone we know or meet. I have been doubly blessed in that I, personally, was offered many opportunities to REACH.

I was a young woman when my church offered me the position of Youth Director. I put my children in a playpen every afternoon at the church and waited for the high school kids to come for the after-school activities. When my children went to school, I was asked to teach speech and theatre at Bishop Dunne, a Catholic School. The girls loved me: “We have only the Nuns to follow. You’re different!” What a blessing those girls were to me! I taught in the Catholic school because I couldn’t teach in the Dallas Schools because my husband did. There was a law that said two salaries couldn’t go into one household—too much money!

Then, Dallas Baptist College opened, and I joined the faculty. I taught there for twelve glorious years when Dr. Criswell invited me to be the Single Adult Minister at First Baptist Dallas. What a blessing that was! When I felt I was too old to serve in that position, I began to give oral presentations.

Now, here I am, 88-years-old on a walker! How can I reach?

Well, I’m still out and about, and I’ve discovered everyone wants to help an old lady. When one opens a door for me, I recite Colossians 1:10. “I try to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord.” Then in verse 16, Paul speaks of the heavenly creatures, the angels. It’s then that I declare the one who opens the door an “angel.” I get some interesting responses. Usually, a man will say, “I’m going to tell my wife that I’m an angel. She won’t believe it!” Some say nothing, but many will stop to discuss their feelings about God’s word! A man from Kenya stopped to ask me more about the Bible. I didn’t know he was from Kenya until I heard his accent. Of course, all that come to my aid are invited to attend First Baptist Dallas!