This past weekend Travis and I attended the Home Going
Services for perhaps one of the humblest men of God a person could ever know,
Elder Walter Franklin. Elder Franklin was more than a pastor. He was our
spiritual father and he had a passionate heart for the people. His ministry wasn’t based on membership
drives, plush pews or church building funds. His primary focus was on teaching
the word of God and serving God’s people. He was a loving husband and devoted
father of ten…yes ten children. He pastored four churches during his time with
United Holiness Church. He was a very busy man…yet he still found time to be there
for our graduations, weddings, the birth of our children and just because. His
family never felt neglected and his church always felt loved.
Elder and Sis Franklin (pictured center) with 2nd United Youth Dept |
I was beginning to look at my children and ache because I
wanted them to have what we had growing up. I wanted them to experience being a
part of a body of Christ that loved purely and unconditionally. I wanted them
to experience the presence of God FOR REAL…no downloaded sermons and prayers and
no imitation outpours of the Holy Spirit. I was afraid Travis and I alone wouldn’t
be enough. I wanted them to have a church family like we did growing up. I wanted
them to have church friends they could lean on like we did growing up.
And then we ran into Elder Robinson at the repast. He also
pastored one of the churches at UHC (just in case you didn’t know United Holiness
Church was a body of ten churches throughout Georgia, Alabama and Florida). Elder
Robinson greeted Travis and I with the sweetest smile and big ole hug. With his
hand to his heart he said “This does my heart good to see you young folks still
holding to God.” He said “You know the ole church is a dying art. I was beginning
to think when we were gone the church would die with us but seeing you all and
the rest of the young people today did me good. You all can carry on.”
His words reminded me that we do what it takes. We are
enough. We were given a firm foundation as children. All we have to do is stand
and never give up. I understand now what the bible meant when it said to
remember not the days of the old (Isaiah 43:18). God wasn’t telling us to forget
the past per se. He was instructing us not to get so caught up on the past that
we give up on our future. Spreading the love of God does not have to be a “dying
art”. We refuse to allow satan to break our spirits. Instead we choose to turn
this test into our testimony and work relentlessly at reclaiming God’s lost and
runaway sheep. Yes the church is under attack but I thank God for reminding us
we were armed a long time ago with what we need to stand strong through the
storm. For those of you who have been shunned, isolated or beginning to give up
on the church, I pray you are remember…YOU ARE ENOUGH. All you have to do is
stand.