By John BJ Hall
Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:1-2)
I just stumbled upon some memories. The find was prompted by a video I saw about an Automobile Museum in Ames, Oklahoma.
It reminded me of my childhood when I attended 1st and 2nd grade at Ames School. My father was the pastor of Eden Baptist Church, which is now an abandoned building (see picture attached).
When we were there, it had a beautiful steeple with an angel on the top of the spire. The fellowship hall was in the basement, and I remember many pleasant meals shared with other members of the church.
I remember jumping off the rail of the front porch, which was considered a rite of passage. When I landed on the ground, my knees buckled and came up and hit my chin. As a result, I bit my tongue so hard it was almost completely severed.
The parsonage was on the right side of the church building. Neither the church nor the parsonage had running water. We had a pitcher pump on a concrete slab behind the house. The outhouse, used both by our family and the church members, was behind the parsonage as well.
It was in that old church that I was baptized. My Sunday School teacher was Mrs. Bertha Compton. She taught us to listen to the Lord through Bible Study and prayer. She was a woman of great faith and a faithful servant of the Lord. All that she taught us reinforced the things that my parents taught me at home.
It breaks my heart to see the condition of the building today. But those old brick walls held the truth that became the foundation upon which I built my life.
I don’t know if you have memories of a faithful Sunday School teacher like Mrs. Compton. If you do then you had a great upbringing. I pray that you will remain faithful to the Lord and help others to find the path to everlasting life.