A little over seven years ago my family and I moved to Sidney, Ohio. We came into this area just four hillbillies from Corbin, Kentucky. To say we were fish out of water would be the understatement of the year. By the grace of God we have somehow made Sidney our home. That’s not to say that the process was without challenges and hurdles along the way.
One of the things my family and I struggled with the most was leaving our network of family and friends. In Kentucky we were surrounded by those we loved and who loved us. We knew that when life got tough that there would be people in our corner with us. When we arrived in Sidney we knew absolutely no one. All we knew was God had sent us to Sidney. Now seven years later, God has surrounded us with family and friends to help fill the void we had upon arrival.
One of the people God used in my life and ministry was Rev. Harold McKnight. I will never forget the first time I met this man of God. I had been invited to a prayer meeting at a local business and I had the privilege at that time to meet him. As time passed I would find myself in many other meetings with him. One day at a minister meeting, Rev. McKnight handed me a piece of paper to sign. He began to explain that he helps oversee a local newspaper article titled “Your pastor speaks.”
Rev. McKnight said “Brother Wright, you need to pick a date on this paper and write an article for this.” Since that day I’ve had the honor and privilege to be able to share in this capacity several times.
Recently I received a message from one of our local pastors, whom I respect tremendously. He said, “I am helping Rev. McKnight for a while with the rotation of pastors to write the “Your pastor speaks” articles for the Sidney Daily News. Would you be willing to write an article and have it in by Monday, Feb. 14?”
I quickly responded, “I always love and appreciate the opportunity to be able to write these articles. I will have it in by the 14th. Thanks for the opportunity and I pray all is well with Rev. McKnight.”
Little did I know that Rev. McKnight – our friend, mentor, fellow laborer in Christ, a pastor to this community – would go home to his reward before I ever put pen to paper or a finger to a tablet to write this article.
So today I write this article with a sense of honor, humility and thankfulness for those whom God has allowed me to serve with and meet along this journey.
As I think about Rev. McKnight’s life and the lives of those he touched along the way, it reminds me of the Prophet Elijah in the Bible. Elijah mentored and ministered to so many people. He allowed God to direct his steps. He imparted into those that were around him and when he left this world he left behind a mantle (2Kings 2) for the next generation (The Prophet Elisha) to continue on with.
Rev. McKnight did the same thing when he left this world. He left behind a mantle of ministry, a mantle of holiness, a mantle of love for God and his people, a mantle of integrity, and a mantle of biblical wisdom.
Today as you read this article, I ask you these questions. Who has God placed in your life that has imparted great things into you? Who left a mantle behind that has taught you the ways of the Lord? Who showed you how to love God and his people? Who has demonstrated to you how to minister to others? Who has given you a great example in how to live life? You should be thankful for those people, even more you should be thankful for the God who placed them in your life.
In closing I leave you with the most important questions of all. What will you do to serve God? How will you impart into the next generation? What mantles will you leave behind? Will it be mantles that cause people to speak of you with honor, humility and thankfulness? Or will they speak of you with anger, bitterness, and hatred?
The choice will be yours to make, but I encourage you to serve God passionately, love people fearlessly and lead them wisely. Know that one day you too will leave for your reward and you will leave behind mantles that others will pick up to continue their journey with.
