“In my Father’s house are many mansions; I go to prepare a place for you……“I am the way, the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through Me.”  John 14:2,6

This week, I attended the funeral of a dear black Christian who went home to be with his Savior.  His wife is a dear friend of mine I met through my Bible study.  He was an accomplished gentleman, a Vietnam War veteran, a CPA, received a Doctoral Degree in Theology, was a professor and held numerous positions in the church he attended.  But with all his accomplishments, I got the feeling he was really a humble man who loved the Lord, God’s people, and loved to serve the homeless and poor.   As I sat with my two friends enjoying the singing and preaching on John 14:1-6, I thought how wonderful it will be in heaven when believers of various skin colors will stand around the throne worshiping the King of Kings and Lord of Lords!  There will be nothing to separate us, we’ll be One Body in Christ!!

My thoughts went to another well known black Christian, a humble man who lived to please his Creator, George Washington Carver.  George’s mother was born into slavery but was freed and worked for the Carver family as a free woman. George was a tiny baby.  One night, the night raiders rode into their town and kidnapped the mother and baby.  The men didn’t want the baby, so threw him along the side of the road and left him to die.  The Carvers found baby George, took him home, raised him as their own, taught him to read and write and gave him their last name.

George became a Christian at the age of 10.  Growing up in a deeply segregated world with few black schools available he thrived, particularly spiritually.  In later years, he spoke about his faith to a friend.  He wrote, “There isn’t much of a story to it.  God just came into my heart one afternoon while I was alone in the loft of our big barn, while I was shelling corn to carry to the mill to be ground into meal.  A dear little white boy, one of our neighbors, about my age came by one Saturday morning, and in talking and playing, he told me he was going to Sunday school the next morning.  I was eager to know what a Sunday school was.  He said they sang hymns and prayed.  I asked him what prayer was and what they said.  I do not remember what he said, only remember that as soon as he left, I climbed up into the loft, knelt down by the barrel of corn and prayed as best I could.  I do not remember what I said.  I only recall that I felt so good that I prayed several times before I quit.  My brother and myself were the only colored children in that neighborhood and we did not go to church or Sunday school of any kind.  This was a simple conversion, and I have tried to keep the faith.”

In 1941, Time magazine said he was a “man of many talents, inventor, agricultural scientist and a genius in the vein of Leonardo da Vinci.”  We can add “man of faith!”  George was famous for revolutionizing the cultivation of soil-rich crops, such as peanuts and soybeans, from depleted cotton soil.  In the process, he discovered 100 plus uses for the sweet potato and 300 uses for the peanut.  Faith was a huge part of his life.  He would attend church every Sunday and every morning walk in the woods to pray and communicate with his Savior.  Carver attributed his many discoveries and successes not to science but to God.  He was a humble man who truly believed all his greatness came from the Creator!  “Well done good and faithful servant…. enter into the joy of the Lord!”  Matthew 24:21.  “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” Philippians 1:21.   

Your friend, Jean