I Want To Be Like Him

“No single factor is more compelling than a challenge of a man whom people suspect walks closely with God. When the radiance of heaven is discernable in the messenger's life and face, even those outside of Christ are frequently touched." –Paige Patterson

"Remember those who led you, who spoke the word of God to you; and considering their conduct, imitate their faith." Hebrews 13:7

I remember the man who led me to Christ.
It was only yesterday…
In 1968

He was a farmer.
Drove a Caterpillar steel tracked bulldozer as a plow.

He was also a Sunday school teacher for junior high boys.
You know them.
The unruly ones.
The ones with much to prove, the ones who were hard to capture their attention.

With hands the size of hams he would pick heavy things up and move them like nothing.
He got our attention.
He let us read the Bible out loud in class.

We were just kids and he took an interest in us. We never let an opportunity go by to test his firm handshake, knowing full well his vise grip would absolutely crush our poor fingers.
Through the excruciating pain we were not going to give up trying to “best” him.
Not soon were we to realize that it would never happen.
We’d never best him.
We’d never have the grip he had.
We would probably never experience the work he did.
I wasn’t around when he died.

His name was Gould Taylor and he was a man of God, and he led me to Christ. And I want to be like him.