I should have known.
It’s not very often that I find myself completely dumbfounded. But I have been since Saturday. ( It’s Tuesday.) And I really should have known.
Many of us have needed and have had Miriam’s in our lives. You know, those people that God places in your path. Ones who from the sidelines influence your life when you start floating outside the control of your family… the way that Miriam watched over and influenced the future of Moses when his mother placed him in the river, and as he was taken in by Pharoah’s daughter.
Although brought up in a Christian home and a regular church attender, during my college years and some beyond, the only real connection I had to my church family was through the softball and basketball teams they sponsored. It was in those connections that people like Billy Goad ( no…ending with a “d”, not a “t” ) became Miriam’s in my life. Regular guys that lived a Christlike life in front of me and my teammates. Somehow you just knew they had something real, and they cared. I credit those relationships with largely impacting my decision to surrender my life to Jesus Christ several years later.
About 15 years ago, while I was a Church Board Member during a difficult period for our church, each member was challenged to elicit a prayer partner. It is no wonder that I asked my friend Billy Goad to be that one. He agreed.
A lot has changed in those 15 years. Of course, we no longer play softball. And basketball…the only thing we can do is reminisce about the time we overcame an 8 point deficit with only 20 seconds left to win a game. Billy, has completely retired. I only work some mornings. Diane and I have changed churches. God has seen fit to bless our family beyond anything I could have ever imagined. Both of our girls and their husbands are raising our grandchildren in Christian homes.
Unfortunately, I rarely see those old friends that meant so much to me back then. But, on Saturday, Diane and I attended a farewell reception ( Is that an oxymoron? ) for some friends, and I found myself talking to my old friend Billy Goad. After exchanging updates on families for a bit, Billy reminded me of that long ago commitment he made to pray for me. And then he without any fanfare said:
“ Skip, I want you to know that since that time, I have prayed for you and your family every single day.”
BAM! I was at a complete loss for words. Dumbfounded.
15 years. Billy has probably prayed more for me than I have for myself. How does someone care that much? How do you repay that kind of loyalty and Christian commitment? Obviously you don’t.
My only response has been to get on my knees and thank God for the role this good man has played in my life. And to ask how and for whom I can possibly pay it forward.
Have you had a praying Miriam in your life? Can you, should you be that person of prayer for someone who needs it…if they may not even know it?
Thank you, Billy Goad, for being truly a man of God in front of me. I should have known.
