The sectional men’s director stood behind the keyboard leading worship. He paused for a moment and proceeded to confess to past sin. His confession was actually a tongue in cheek reference to the days that I served as District Youth Director of Oklahoma. The self-confessed mad man of youth camp was who I remembered as “Hot Rod from Poteau”. He was another of many that attempted to make me earn my money as a camp director. But his presence at this men’s rally was bonus pay for those long nights at camp. Hot Rod is now Pastor Mattox to a fine church in Arkansas.

It was Saturday night in Barling, Arkansas and the Lord reminded me again of the rewards of longtime ministry. I am not getting any older. I have just lived long enough to see those many bus children, wired teens, crazy campers and preacher’s kids, grow up to be stalwarts in the Kingdom of God.

One of the thrills of traveling this nation is meeting the pastor’s wife in Michigan, the missionary to Russia, and the pastor in Southern California. These are among many that Pam and I had the honor of having our fingerprints on youthful clay as the Lord was molding them into men and women of God. This is reason enough to ‘not be weary in well doing’.

What a great life!