Remembering Clyde

As I sit at my desk this morning I am planning the message that I will deliver tomorrow at the memorial service of Clyde Smith. Clyde was 91 years old and had ministered the Gospel for over 60 years. He fought in Europe during WWII and lived through some of the toughest fought battles of the war. After coming home, he felt the call to ministry and gave his life to serving God. In the early 60's, he felt led to start a new church and with the help of a few others, my grandparents included, they started the Westside Church of God. At the age of 11 I was baptized with the Holy Ghost and called to preach this wonderful Gospel message in that church. All my life I had heard of this man named Clyde but had never met him. About five years ago his granddaughter started attending our church along with her family. It wasn't long before that name Clyde came up in conversation. I will never forget the morning that he pulled up for the first time in our parking lot. I even remember what he was wearing. When this elderly gentleman that I had never met before got out of his little truck and someone told me who it was, fear came over me. I quickly became very nervous. I was a young pastor who was still trying to find my way in ministry and here comes a "pro." I do not remember what I preached that morning, but I remember thinking, "I can't bomb this one." Thankfully, with a great deal of help from the Lord, the service must have went well, because Clyde and Ann have been with us ever since. He preached for me and prayed for me many times over the last few years. He would often tell me, "this is how it used to be in the church." We both had a passion for the move of the Holy Ghost in the lives of God's children. We both wanted lives to be saved and for those lives to walk everyday in His presence. Today, Clyde is closer to God than ever before. Though we miss him, we rejoice that he has seen his Friend. God bless