Being Still

Larry was in the process of cooking breakfast when our three-year-old granddaughter said, “Granddad, come and sit by me.”  He took the opportunity to sit with Della for a few minutes and was rewarded with a sweet conversation, several hugs, and “I love you” comments before returning to the final preparations of breakfast.  That tender moment reminded me of how much God must desire each of us to take time to be still and “Come and sit by me.”

Events of this month have already started out at a fast pace.  Being still does not come naturally for me.  I have to make a conscious effort to slow down, give attention to, and focus on the moment at hand.  Sometimes I purposely choose to slow down while other times life throws in its two cents worth and decides that for me.  Dealing with tendinitis around my ankle these weeks has caused me to be much slower than usual.  There are times I have had to stop and sit.  Slowing down and being still have afforded me the opportunity to sit, visit, read, study, and have purpose in what I choose to do.  I have been reminded that it is good to have time to be still.  But it is what I choose to do in those still moments that has the potential to make a difference.

He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

Psalm 46:10

“The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”

Exodus 14:14

Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.

Psalm 37:7

An Athlete and More

Dwyane Wade, Jr. was drafted to play in the National Basketball Association in 2003.  The Miami Heat chose Wade as the 5^th pick in Round 1.  Except for a two-year period, where he played for the Chicago Bulls and Cleveland Cavaliers, Dwyane Wade played for the Miami Heat.  In 2019, he announced his retirement.  At each of the games during his final season, Wade would swap jerseys with other legends on the opposing team.  Most times the players had written words of admiration and gratitude on the jersey before presenting it to him.  The basketball jerseys were then hung and displayed on a wall.

At the conclusion of the season, Wade was invited to the AmericanAirlines Arena to receive five more articles of clothing for his wall.  Except for the camera people, host, and a few other people, the arena was empty.  Wade had no clue who would be presenting their gifts on that day.  The first person to walk across the empty court was a young man who had met Dwyane Wade 12 years earlier.  He explained to Wade that he grew up in “an area where not too many make it.”  Wade’s influence was the spark he needed to change the direction for his life.  He presented Dwyane with the suit coat he had worn to his first event, with a message written on the lining, and said, “Having you as a role model has made all the difference.”

Next a young lady walked across the basketball court.  She explained that it was only a dream for her to have the chance to go to college because there were no funds.  Wade had provided her with a full tuition scholarship.  The young lady gave Dwyane her cap and gown and thanked him for investing in her future.

Then a young woman approached Wade and explained how he was her brother’s favorite basketball player.  On February 14, he was 1 of the 17 victims in the high school shooting in Parkland, Florida.  When Wade found out the young man looked at him as a role model, he had written Joaquim Oliver’s name on his tennis shoe so he would not be forgotten.  With the blessing of her family, the sister gave Wade her brother’s basketball jersey from his last championship basketball game.

As the next lady approached the center of the basketball court, she reminded Dwyane that her home had burned down ten days before Christmas and their family lost everything in the fire.  She received a phone call from Wade asking if he could take her family on a shopping spree.  The lady brought a shirt, that had been purchased on that day, to present to Dwyane.

The final guest was Dwyane’s mother.  She began by telling him how he was the joy of her life.  Because of drug usage, she confessed that she had dropped the ball.  After turning herself in to the authorities, Wade’s mother served time in prison.  She didn’t think she would ever be able to come back, but Wade kept showing up to check on her.  Because Dwyane believed in her, she came out of prison a different woman.  His mother explained that since he had bought a church for her, many lives had been changed.  She then presented her son with a purple clergy robe representing royalty and said, “I am more proud of the man you have become than the basketball player.  You are bigger than basketball.”

Dwyane Wade, Jr. has a wall full of his peer’s basketball jerseys with words of admiration and praise for his athletic ability to be enjoyed now and for years to come.  He has invested in his team as well as the NBA.  But I venture to say, the contributions he has made in the lives of these five people, as well as others, will reap benefits for now and hopefully generations to come.

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

Galatians 6:9

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

Colossians 3:23-24

If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture. “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right.

James 2:8

But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.

James 3:17

Daniel John Yeary

Daniel John Yeary

1938 – 2020

It has been said that every person needs a Paul as a mentor, a Barnabas to encourage you, and a Timothy that you teach and mentor.  And sometimes you are blessed to have one person who fulfills more than one of those roles in your life.  Dan Yeary was one of those people for me.

Dan was the College Minister at First Baptist Church, Lubbock, when I was a student at Texas Tech University.  His desire was for every person to know and have a relationship with Jesus.  Dan pulled together a team of college teachers who also invested in, challenged, mentored, and taught us.  Mom and Pop White brought donuts and orange juice, every Sunday morning, to welcome the students.  To that end, we had Bible Study and Worship services on Sunday morning and College Forum, where we heard from different speakers of specific ways to grow and apply our faith, on Sunday evenings.  Monday night we ate dinner at the church and then fanned out over the campus to visit those who had come to church as a guest on Sunday.  During the week, we had the opportunity to participate in small Growth Groups and/or “E” (evangelism groups) where we learned to share our faith.  During these years, the 9:30 College worship service began with over 1,000 university students gathering to meet each week.  Robert Moore led the choir and music and Dan preached.  Because it was a college service, students took leadership in the music, collecting the offering, ushering, and anything else that was needed.  Knowing that Easter had the opportunity to encourage more students to attend, the decision was made to meet in the Lubbock Municipal Coliseum, located on the Tech campus, for the service.  There were over 2,000 students who worshiped that Sunday and in future services.  We also had the opportunity to participate in mission trips over Spring Break or at the conclusion of the school year.

The week before fall classes began, First Baptist took busloads of students to attend College Week at Glorieta in New Mexico.  Along with students from other universities, it was a great time to prioritize what needed to happen as you prepared for a new semester. Dan often led sessions during this week.  When back in Lubbock, students from First Baptist learned a musical, such as “Tech-a-lot,” to perform in the church gym to welcome the Tech students back for classes.  The week before the Spring Semester, First Baptist Lubbock rented out Glorieta for Mid-Winter Retreat.  It was one more opportunity to make sure we were looking to Jesus to lead and direct us during the coming days and months.  

Even though Dan provided amazing programs, opportunities, and fellowships, it was his lifestyle that made a difference.  He lived out what he taught.  He loved and served the Lord wholeheartedly and wanted others to have that relationship as well.  Dan constantly invested in, encouraged, and challenged those around him to be who God created them to be.  His sermons were well prepared, engaging, and offered a challenge for application.

Larry had the opportunity to serve alongside Dan as the Youth Minister at University Baptist Church in Coral Gables Florida for 2 ½ years.  Dan ministered as the pastor, but also invested his life in the community as he coached kids at the youth center across the street from the church.  Due to Dan’s influence, some of those kids, and their families, became believers and active at University Baptist Church.  Once again, Dan was willing to do whatever it took to introduce people to Jesus.

Whether it was in Ft. Worth, Texas; Kentucky; Lubbock, Texas; Houston, Texas; Coral Gables/Miami, Florida; Phoenix, Arizona; Waco, Texas; or back in Houston, Texas; Dan was a fully devoted follower of Christ who invited and encouraged others to be as well.  As recently as two months ago, Dan was strategizing ways he could minister to the people in the retirement center where he lived.

A few of the lessons I learned during college days and beyond:

* Don’t mess with or treat lightly things that are precious to you.

* Live with an attitude of gratitude.

* Take the time to encourage others with words of affirmation, spoken and written.

* Get ready and come prepared to worship.

* Expect God to teach and move every time you come to worship.  And then expect God to do the same every day of the week.

* Find out where God is working and join him.

* Every season of life has ways you can serve the Lord. 

* You never retire from God’s work.

* The best is yet to come!

I am so grateful for the ways God worked in and through Dan to teach me more about Him.  The legacy and lessons learned will continue.  Now to make sure I am doing the same for others.

A person’s days are determined, you have decreed the number of his months and have set limits he cannot exceed.

Job 14:5

“Show me, Lord, my life’s end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting my life is.

Psalm 39:4

Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

Psalm 90:12

May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude and mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Romans 15:5-6

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.

1 Thessalonians 5:11

Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the Lord’s people.

Philemon 1:7