THE PICTURE

Do you have a box of pictures tucked away in a closet or attic? You do remember that we once had pictures we could hold in our hands, don’t you?

I still have several boxes of old pictures that belonged to both sides of our family. I think my mother-in-law kept every picture she ever took, whether it was clear or not. Of course, she didn’t bother to put names or dates on them; so I have no idea the identity of most of the people in them.

Recently, while looking for a specific picture, I found a picture I had no idea I had. It was taken many years ago, and I have no idea who took it. I think my mother probably took it with an old box camera.

The picture I found was of a preacher and his wife. This preacher was particularly important in my life. He preached at the congregation I attended when I was very little.

This preacher was a quiet man, soft spoken, and very generous, though he had little of this earth’s possessions. He gave even when he didn’t have it to spare.

When I was four or five years old, I would run to the door of the church building at the end of service to be held by this gentle man. He would hold me and shake hands with the people as they left.

When I was sick, even if I just had a cold, I would have my mother call and have him come pray for me. I truly believed I could not get well unless he would ask God to make me well.

He would come to my bedside, kneel beside my bed, and pray for me by name. He would hold my hand as he prayed, and I believed with all my heart that he had a direct line to God in heaven.

When I was six, he and some other men started a school. They wanted a place where children could go for a good education and also have daily Bible lessons. It was the beginning of a growing trend of private education.

This kind-hearted preacher paid my tuition my first year in school. He bought my books and paid for lunches. He did this because he knew my mother couldn’t afford the cost.

I remember going to their home to deliver a fresh coconut cake to him every year on his birthday. That was a small price to pay for all he did for me. His loving wife welcomed us into her home making sure we had refreshments and giving us uninterrupted time with them.

Is there someone like this in your life? Is there someone who provided you with opportunities you would not otherwise have had? How do you repay such kindnesses?

There are just some things one cannot repay. There are kindnesses, time, and love that bless our lives; and we may have neither the ability nor the opportunity to repay these. Maybe we just won’t make the effort.

The greatest gift any of us has received is life. Certainly physical life is a gift, but the gift of eternal life surpasses all other gifts and acts of kindness.

Our Lord and Savior died on the cross just so we could have the hope of eternal life in heaven. No one has ever done more for man than God in sending His Son to die for us.

Peter paints a picture to the people on the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2. There he describes to thousands how they tortured Jesus and hung Him on a cross. Then he places Jesus at the right hand of God as he proclaims, “…God hath made that same Jesus both Lord and Christ” (Acts 2:36 KJV).

When I look at pictures of those whom I know and love, I remember the happy times, the wonderful memories, and sometimes the sad times. When I read the Bible, I try to think about how the people in the pages of this sacred book lived. I try to ask myself, “What would I have done had I been in their place?”

What if you or I had been one of those to whom Peter spoke on Pentecost? Would we have been one that cried out, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” (Verse 37). Would we have been one of the 3,000 that was baptized and added to the Lord’s church? (Verses 41, 47).

I’d like to think that had I been guilty of consenting, even demanding, the life of Jesus, I would have begged for a chance to make it right.

May we be thankful to those on earth who have been kind to us, and may we be thankful and obedient to the instructions of the scriptures so that we might receive the gift of eternal life. After all, Jesus died that we might receive this gift.

Sandra Oliver