I remember seeing hand sanitizers on the counter of a food stand at Sea World on that day, and thinking, “that is a novel idea…” Little did we realize what was coming. That next week the long fog of Covid began to descend across the USA, and around the globe.

In early December of 2020 Covid hit our small retirement village with a vengeance with over 125 cases recorded before it subsided. We lost three residents to heaven at that time, and three other men came down with very serious cases that required many days of hospitalization.

Back in early July of this year Connie began to suspect that she might have contracted Covid — again. This was da ja vu, right? We borrowed a home test kit from a friend and botched it. So, what do we do now on a late Saturday afternoon? We decided to head for CVS because they bailed out Connie with a medical need right after Hurricane Irma visited our area in 2017. You go back to a trusted place, right?

In a few minutes we went out the door with a large plastic bag containing 16 free test kits courtesy of the United States government. At home we botched the first test attempt, but then — we strike it rich and successfully test. Connie has Covid; I don’t. Not yet. Now what do we do?

We vowed to call the emergency phone number of our trusted Maxwell Medical Group in the morning. The weekend medical emergency person did a marvelous job getting through to Dr. Maxwell and called us back very soon. By 10:00 A.M., on Sunday morning, I was at our Walmart pharmacy when they opened. But they were out of Paxlovid already, and the pharmacist told me he already checked with their sister store 10 miles north. I said what about CVS? He called the man who had given us 16 test kits the night before. When I walked into CVS, that same pharmacist spied me and called out, “I’m filling your order right now.” That is God’s grace in action!

Since then and before, there have been several twists and turns, but through it all our Lord has been faithful. Plus, a number of medical personnel have come alongside to help us navigate the pathway. These experiences have caused me to reflect on the five wonderful doctors God has given me in my life — and four of them Connie and I have shared. Let me introduce you to them. God’s grace has been evident all along our journey.

Our Lord has given us many other fine medical professionals over the years, and especially in these “retirement” years in Florida. We listen to their direction and trust God for His guidance and protection. That is a safe place to be. In the grasp of His grace.

Dr. Monroe Parker – Gentleman & Scholar

But I did form the quartet within the early weeks at Pillsbury, and it included friend Hugh Rodman from my high school quartet, and Roger Creamer, another acquaintance from the Chicago area. We traveled all over Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin during our freshmen year. One of our great privileges was accompanying Dr. Parker to meetings in South Dakota. I will never forget him stuffing peanuts in Coke and teaching us that southern delicacy. We had a ball with him!

Years later I heard a Baptist World Mission missionary tell how Dr. Parker accompanied him to speak with bureaucratic officials about an issue they were encountering in country. The missionary said that even though he had to translate all of the good doctor’s communications, the national officials realized and recognized Dr. Parker’s statesman capabilities. Resolution was achieved because of Dr. Parker’s gifts of leadership and communication. He was a formidable person, but also very interested in students and common people everywhere.

I had several occasions to learn of his directness as an administrator, but also witnessed his personal involvement in rescuing students from their immaturity. As a sophomore I became drawn into an incident where I was nearly shipped. I was on the basketball team, but was injured and went to the Twin Cities on a Friday night when our team was playing. Dr. Parker noticed I was not there and wanted to know why? I went to participate in a ministry activity in Minneapolis, but became an unknowing participant in breaking the rules by being in a vehicle without meeting proper chaperone requirements. In that car was the daughter of the chairman of the board – which complicated the matter.

Dr. Parker was not happy with me, but he made sure that I got enough demerits to bring me very close to expulsion, but able to keep my nose clean for the remaining few weeks of the semester. In a later year he believed that I was the source of campus discontent that reached a pastor who was being critical of him. On that occasion he called me into his office and confronted me in a stern manner. I assured him that I was not the source of the criticism, and he took my word for it. I gained more respect for him because he came to me personally and directly. That was Dr. Parker – he was straight up with conflict and problems. I benefited much by learning how to handle conflict from that experience.

About three years after graduating I confessed to him that after leaving the college I heard and listened to criticism of him based on information I came to realize was untrue and not possible. He was very gracious, and let me know that was the kind of misinformation we had to deal with in ministry. Once again, he taught me a valuable lesson in grace and restraint. He was a man of principal and character.

And he was his own man. In 1975 I hosted the 55^th annual meeting of the Fundamental Baptist Fellowship at Faith Baptist, in St. Paul, just after joining the FBF board. Our people did a magnificent job providing for all the guests in our newly expanded church building.  One of the men furnished a lounge where the speakers could relax and fellowship together.

During that time I was in a group of board members and Myron Cedarholm got talking about pulling out of speaking at the Tennessee Temple commencement. He was telling this small group that he told Dr. Roberson that he felt he would need to warn the graduates in that ceremony about certain current issues. Dr. Roberson told Cedar that they didn’t do that kind of thing at Temple. He just didn’t like to criticize. So, Dr. Cedarholm graciously backed out of the speaking engagement. Dr. Parker was sitting there, and said, “Well, I wondered why Lee called me so late to speak at their commencement.” And Dr. Parker went and preached.

Monroe Parker was his own man. He was respected by leaders and people in many different camps. He was a man who ministered in and among varied groups that made up fundamentalism in his era. He triumphed through the trial of losing his first wife in an auto accident, and losing his second wife Marjorie in 1981. God then brought Ruby into his life in 1983. We became closer friends with Ruby after Dr. Parker went to heaven, because she was from Wilson, NC, about 20 miles from where we lived in Rocky Mount, NC. I preached a number of the times in the church where she and her first husband worshiped and served faithfully. All of these connections and memories are blessed.

Easy paths and an absence of trouble are not always the places where believers are called to travel. Often difficulty and struggle come to our lives, bringing heartache, disappointment, and pain. Sometimes those trials come at the most unsuspected time. But as we look back, we can see the hand of God and the guidance of His grace, in shaping and directing our lives.

Sixty-four years ago, just after my 16^th birthday, I remember my dad taking me for my driver’s license test.  Little did I know that within weeks he would be taken to heaven through an airplane crash.  Just before he died  I remember him telling me that a new college was opening that September in Owatonna, Minnesota. I was vaguely aware of the existence of the old Pillsbury Academy in that town because dad had served on the board of that institution when we lived in Minnesota.

These thoughts swirled in my head this September in 2021 when Connie and I returned to the Owatonna campus of the former Pillsbury College that closed in 2008. We had the privilege of joining about 450 folks who were former students, faculty, staff, and supporters of the college for a reunion. Together we remembered what God did on that campus where many of us were trained to be servants of the Lord. 

My college years were filled with wonderful experiences. There were friends, all kinds of activities, classroom learning, and opportunities to serve the Lord on weekends.  But I must confess I was not the most diligent student during those years. My lifelong friend Gordy Lovik, who was ultimately my seminary professor, had to deliver the message to me from the seminary faculty that they were not impressed with my college grades. Even that was a gift of God’s grace to motivate me to achieve a much improved academic record in my graduate studies. 

God meant all of this for good. Looking back it is easy now to see God’s grace evident through the entire process – even the painful parts. It was a special blessing this past September to join a grateful crowd at the Pillsbury campus to give glory to God. We remembered God’s goodness and recounted His faithfulness and sustaining grace. It is truly all about His grace.

During the trip, we passed through several states, cities, and smaller towns. I came away with some definite impressions and observations that led me to take notes and plan to write my reflections. Here are some of those thoughts:

PROSPERITY

Everywhere we traveled there seemed to be evidence of prosperity — at least the appearance, or “shell” of prosperity. The highways, shopping mall parking lots, entertainment venues, and vacation locations were teeming with vehicles and people. Americans were out — unmasked and masked — in droves, everywhere. Still, at a closer look, there were obvious cracks in the outer veneer.

Then the evidence of aging and deteriorating infrastructure were all over the place. City streets in the environs of the embattled Twin Cities seemed to be in especially bad shape. We steered clear of the problematic areas where violence previously erupted, but the signs of wear and tear on public roads highlighted the conundrum prevailing in cash-strapped municipalities.

People were out spending and enjoying their prosperity, but it seems to be only skin deep.

COMPLEXITY

Maybe I am showing signs of my age, but travel seems to be much more difficult than we’ve previously encountered. We drew on many years of experience traveling for Positive Action for Christ when we were still working. I believe right now things are much more complex all over the country. We visited familiar areas from the past and found expanded highway interchanges and roadway challenges. Metropolitan expressways were especially daunting.

UNCERTAINTY

We also encountered disappointing customer service situations where telephone personnel or online systems seemed incapable of helping at all. We continue to struggle with several issues after we have returned home. One thing we learned was that most companies are shorthanded and struggling to find workers, or to cover their customer service operations with the overworked and under-supported staff that they currently employ. The refrain seems to be: “Go to our app or website to get your problems solved,” and that medium just does not provide individualized solutions at all.  

There was an underlying feeling of uncertainty due to the possibility of civil unrest, continuing divisive politics, mixed messaging about Covid, and the unpredictable effects all of these things are having on a tenuous economy. In spite of all of this, people were going about the business of their daily lives.

ACTIVITY

Everywhere we went people were out enjoying summer to the fullest. Families were traveling the highways and jamming the fun places far and wide. And the truck traffic was abundant. I have a theory that trucking has increased on the interstates to supply the distribution points for the online ordering that then gets fulfilled through more truck and delivery traffic to the consumers. At the same time shopping areas seem to be alive with eateries, niche shopping enterprises, and creative entertainment ventures.

SPIRITUAL VITALITY

The most encouraging aspect of our trip was the ministry we were able to participate in among family and friends, and the churches that we were privileged to visit. All of the ministries we visited were vibrant and vital – even during these challenging times. We met, and heard, for the first time the new pastor at Calvary Baptist in Chattanooga, where our daughter and family worship and serve. Pastor Powell assumed the pastorate during the Pandemic and he is bringing blessing and leadership to that large work.

Then we were greatly blessed to share in an unusual and thoroughly encouraging Sunday morning at Pastor Bruce Cournoyer’s church in Madison, Wisconsin. Our son Kirk joined us as we participated in an outdoor service followed by a cookout with the folks of Calvary Bible Fellowship. This warm and growing body of believers was not able to use their usual rented facilities on that morning, and so one of their members hosted the church family at their beautiful home and yard in the country. What a delightful group!

The next Sunday found us at the historic Fourth Baptist Church in suburban Minneapolis. This is the church body where Connie grew up. It is where we met and were married and served before launching out into ministry 55 years ago. However, today Fourth is growing and prospering in their relocated facilities in the expanding western suburbs, while their sister church Family Baptist continues a vital urban ministry in the city neighborhood. Both bodies of believers are serving and showing evidence of health and effective ministry. We were especially struck by the large attendance and marvelous congregational singing on a summer weekend. Pastor Morrell’s expositional message was so practical and it is easy to see why the Lord is blessing that work.

Our final church opportunity was unusual because it was the annual meeting of Calvary Baptist Church in Watertown, Wisconsin, where we attended for a time when serving at Maranatha Baptist Bible College. What a blessing that service was to us! Our dear friend, and faithful tax accountant, Corey Pfaffe gave a stellar church treasurer’s report with great news and spiritual discernment. His presentation was a testimony to the goodness of God during the last year and a half of faithfulness on the part of the Lord and His people. Pastor Bob Loggans gave a wonderful challenge in the service and then treated us to fellowship at Culver’s with his wife and dear friend Char Cedarholm.

We also spent time with many treasured friends and family members along the way and shared memories of past ministry experiences with them. They were all a great blessing to us. What a joy in each one of these experiences to see how God is faithfully sustaining and using His people to declare His glory.     

In January of 1984, Bud Weniger let me know he was taking the presidency of Maranatha Baptist Bible College. I instinctively knew our family would need to move to the Washington D.C. area so that I could fulfill the next step in the ministry where God had placed me. Our home in 1984, and the office for the American Association of Christian Schools, was in Normal, Illinois, where Bud was my boss at AACS, but more importantly pastor of Calvary Baptist Church.

It was not practical to keep the office in Normal long term because I would continue to work under Bud after he moved to Wisconsin. AACS needed to either move to Watertown, Wisconsin, or to the area of the nation’s capital where a good bit of my work activity was focused. I realized right away that the D.C. area was the only logical choice. Thus began a year and a half journey to Northern Virginia.

By the summer plans were beginning to take shape and so we took a family vacation to the Washington area to introduce our kids to the beauty and historical significance of our nation’s capital. We also intended to begin house hunting.

The move exposed our family to the “fast-lane” lifestyle of the sprawling Washington-Baltimore metroplex area. Our house, in the suburb of Chantilly, was 30 miles straight west of the U.S. Capitol, but 20 miles outside of the Capital Beltway. For three exciting and taxing years, we became very familiar with living and struggling in the “outside the Beltway” environment.

Several years before moving Connie and I began to take evening walks due to the example of her parents following her father’s heart attack. In Pleasant Valley, Virginia, the walks through our subdivision became a regular exercise in receiving God’s grace. Looking back we see how God taught us the sufficiency of grace during that time of struggle. In remarking about modern day advertising a current Bible commentator observers that marketers preach the, “power to escape weakness in leisure, but Christianity offers power to endure weakness in love.” We found that to be true.

Today every time we watch a newscast reporting on the political struggles and tensions in Washington, D.C., we hark back in memory to our three years living outside the Beltway. We enjoyed immensely the beauty and history of the area, but we remember the suffocating traffic and congestion, plus the pressures of a fast-lane lifestyle. It took its toll on our health and family.

Was it worth it? Absolutely. During those years we were privileged to participate in the growth and maturing of the Christian School movement. We met many fine Christian educators, valued leaders, and servants of the Lord. We also rubbed shoulders with many hard-working politicians and dedicated public servants. The Lord allowed us to make life long friendships with wonderful Christian people who live and survive in the Washington area. We realize now that God was gracious to help us survive that environment, and after three years escape to Wisconsin. We learned to trust God and walk with Him in a deeper way.  

Connie and I took many day trips to well-known and lesser-known historical sites, and I always loved seeing families enjoying the Capitol Mall – which I think of as America’s “Main Street.” I am afraid the area is even much more stressful today, but I know the ability to survive from 1985-88 was due to God’s grace. We found that truly, “God’s grace is sufficient” for our every need. To repeat an old gospel song, “We wouldn’t take nothing for our journey now.”

The good old days are gone. But many good lessons of the past have been profitably passed on. Likewise, valuable wisdom skills are transmitted from generation to generation. These legacies are worth treasuring. Most of us do not disparage the influence of our grandparents – but we often thoughtlessly discount the past. The cherished personal memories we have received from those who influenced us and guided us often transcend the latest whiz-bang fads or eye-popping technology.

Dennis L. Peterson is a friend of mine who is an author and historian and a former editor and educator. He blogs and passes on many valuable insights from lessons that a study of history affords and the wisdom that can be gleaned from family heritage.

Recently Dennis wrote an article entitled The Ring. Here are some interesting and excellent excerpts from that thoughtful and engaging piece.

You can read the whole story at https://dlpedit.wordpress.com/2021/04/30/the-ring/. You can also profit from Dennis’s finely honed craft of writing – especially his careful telling of stories and the wisdom that he gleans from digging into the fuller lessons found in historic events, things, and most of all, people.

I wrote the following to him.

As I remember a guy by the name of Charlie Hermann recruited me for that job. It was through my association with the Owatonna Parks & Rec director that Charlie was directed to me. I only worked a few times each month, but the experience had a profound influence on me at the time. Many years later I learned that Charlie rose to be a Vice President in the huge corporation that Jostens has grown to be in the business of publishing and recognition products. The ministry Connie and I retired from – Positive Action Bible Curriculum – had books printed by the Jostens company.

I’ve learned that Charlie Hermann became a legend in Jostens’ organization. He was a super motivational speaker and dynamic personality. The Jostens website recorded this about Charlie:

Some people have super personalities like Charlie, and others are faithful and consistent influencers like Dennis Peterson’s dad. Their contributions to our lives are like beacon lights to illuminate our paths and guide us in our quest to find God’s truth and gain a helpful understanding of life. Jesus said: “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:16.

Not sure how I discovered the game, but I quickly became hooked. The game’s creator, Ethan Allen, was a former major leaguer who became the head baseball coach at Yale University for many years. He was George H. W. Bush’s (the future president) baseball coach at Yale and was a respected teacher of the game.  ASB used real players and real statistics and produced very realistic results.

The game consisted of a mock ball diamond, a spinner, and a series of round disks representing individual major league players. A current website (https://baseballgames.dreamhosters.com/CadacoASB.htm) explains how the game worked: “The disks, with a die-cut rectangular center hole, punched out, were placed over a small cardboard block mounted on the game-board, a spinner spun over it, and the wedge number — 1 through 14 — at which the spinner stopped indicated the result of each at-bat.” The spinner would land on a number indicating a walk, single, double triple, home run — or an out via strikeout, ground out, or fly out.

The number “one” indicated a home run. A home run hitter like Mickey Mantle would have a much larger slot for a homer than speedster Richie Ashburn. Mantle was the all-star centerfielder for the Yankees in 1952, and Ashburn was the all-star centerfielder for the Phillies, my favorite player at that time. Ashburn was not a power hitter, so his home run slot was slim, but his singles and doubles were large because he was a consistent hitter who beat out bunts and stretched singles into doubles. I was captivated by the accuracy and realism of the statistical results.

My neighbor Steve joined my excitement, and we organized so that each of us conducted a 50+ game schedule with two separate leagues. Then we had a world series of our own at the end of our season. We had a great time keeping all of the statistics just like we read in the sports pages of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. But this was our league, and to us, it was not fantasy — it was real.

Butch and Pat weren’t too interested in my game adventure, but they agreed to go if we could stop at the magic shop on Randolph Street, a few steps west of State Street. I can’t believe my mother allowed me as a 13-year-old kid to go with two friends downtown Chicago via the Elevated/Subway train. We had a ball on the “L” — running back and forth between cars and acting like typical jerks. Then they introduced me to The Treasure Chest that I’ve recently learned was owned by a famous Chicago magician who hosted a local TV magic show. We had a great time traipsing up and down the Chicago streets, exploring The Treasure Chest and running the stairways of the Merchandise Mart. Those were truly different days.

I’ve not been a big game person the rest of my life but was enticed by Connie about three years ago to join the monthly Mexican Train Tournament conducted here in Maranatha Village. This event draws around 100 or more every month to play in six-person table configurations of this challenging and competitive game. Some strategy and thinking are required — which I like — but lots of luck is needed. I am amazed that we have a handful of octogenarians, and beyond, that are so sharp and have so much luck. Several of these ladies win over and over. We’ve dragged our kids into Mexican Train, and the granddaughters were overjoyed this Christmas to get their own set.

But we are also still adventuring. The Lord has allowed Connie and me to travel extensively in ministry for many years. During those trips, we continued to explore new places and new experiences. And we are still doing it today as we have launched out over the past seven years to explore the adventures of Florida. This coming summer Connie and I are praying about a new adventure…stay tuned.

I’m not sure why they accepted my youthful decision, which I admit was partly motivated by taking the easy road. I was always the guy that wanted to figure out the easier way to do something. That just made sense to me. So I elected to take three courses that would be academically less demanding – and they have made my life so much more productive. God was gracious in guiding an immature kid to make decisions that would have a profound effect for good on my learning and subsequently on my life serving the Lord.

Second, I took Spanish. Again, I don’t remember the precise reason. Perhaps the other choice before me was Latin, and I thought Spanish would be easier. Or, maybe the options included an English literature class with Mrs. Rule that I would avoid at any cost. Not sure, but I learned to understand English grammar much better by studying Spanish. But most importantly, my brief excursion into Spanish prepared me for later studies in Greek and Hebrew during my post-graduate studies in seminary.

Finally, I chose a semester of Journalism as an English credit. That was my most significant decision – and I can’t take credit for the life-shaping impact that single semester experience has had on my life and ministry. Today it is evident that God’s grace was setting me on a course to prepare me for tasks in the years to come.

In that class, I was exposed to all the facets of newspaper writing and production. A domineering lady was the teacher and served as the sponsor for The Lindblom Leader, the school’s large eight-page broadsheet newspaper. She assigned students in her class to write articles for The Leader and called us reporters. Then she recruited, or appointed, individuals (usually her pets) to become the editorial leaders for the next year – as Seniors.

I was quite pleased when she chose me to be the Front Page News Editor. That meant I could direct the reporters, design layout, create headlines, and run everything about the first page of the paper.

This went along smoothly at first, and then our overbearing advisor changed from being flattering to controlling. I would later learn this was her method of operation every year. She would recruit with sweetness, and then she would change to become dictatorial and controlling. She wanted the editors to spend all their time in her newspaper office under her fiefdom. But some of us had another life too.

At first, I humored her, but then started to realize she was grooming me to be the Editor-in-Chief for my final semester. I determined I could put up with the aggravation, but balked when she wanted to dictate who would take my place as News Editor.

Ultimately she told me that she was making the decisions and that was that. I said, fine, but then she didn’t need me and I resigned. That was it. I never went back and my career with The Leader was over. My relationship with the rest of the staff was not harmed; they were glad that finally, someone stood up to her.

Years later at our 50th Class Reunion, I had the opportunity to talk with the female classmate who wound up taking the Editor-in-Chief position. She said the sponsor was still her old self for that last semester, but my stand helped the staff to gain a little more respect from the old gal. But I have to take my hat off to that teacher. She taught me the basics of writing news stories and “putting the paper to bed” in the parlance of old newspaper layout jargon.

In all of my ministry positions, it has been my responsibility to lead or contribute to organizational publications. During my time with AACS I edited four different publications. Now with the wonders of technology, I write copy and within minutes have it whisked away electronically to spread information around the world in literally seconds. And that makes my job easier – just like I worked so hard at so many years ago.