A Tribute to Ray
November 18, 2007
How do you calculate the influence of one life? Especially, a life like J. Ray Crook? It just can't be done on this side of eternity. I know you feel like I do. There are no words that can adequately communicate what an influence he's been to each one of us individually, to us corporately as a church, or to us as the community of Mineral Wells since 1970.Did you know Ray's feet are talked about in Scripture? Listen to this: "…How can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, 'How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!" (Romans 10:14-15). Those feet took his family and the Gospel to Iredell, Shamrock, McGregor, Madris, Oregon, Graham, back to McGregor, Mineral Wells, Graford, Santo, and no telling how many other places. Those feet have walked into our homes, they've walked with us into marriage, they've walked with us to the graves of our loved ones, they've walked with us through times of temptation, and how many times they've walked with us into the baptistry. They truly have been beautiful feet to us. To me and to all of us, he was a mentor, a teacher, a friend, a confidant, a support, and an encourager. Compassion dripped from him like honey drips from the honeycomb. I told him the other day that I think of him when I read 1 Corinthians 13. He was a preacher of love. I especially love the verse which reads, "…love believes all things…" Ray believed the best about all of us. He brought out the best in all of us. How many times have I asked myself the question in a trying ministerial circumstance, "What would Ray do right now?" or "What would Ray say right now?" Countless times, following that thought, I would just pick up the phone and find out for sure. That is a luxury that I took for granted, and one that I wish so desperately I still had. But let me say this: I am so happy for Ray! What a blessed thing to fall asleep here next to the love of your life, and to wake up there next to the Love of your life! It couldn't have happened to a nicer man. So, what will we do? We will take all the gifts that Ray has given us, and we will give them to others, all the while keeping them ourselves. We will continue to faithfully march for Christ until we, like Ray, can hear the words we long to hear, "Well done, my good and faithful servant! Enter in to the joy of your Lord!" God is good all the time. William Eudy |