My father

was the finest man I have ever known.

He was an

Army chaplain who served during WWII and the Korean

conflict. He was born in Social Circle, Ga. in the

beautiful Herndon home which was built before the Civil

War.

My mother

was born in Neosho, Mo. and reared in a little town named

Okmulgee, Okla. They met while Dad was in seminary and

Mother was in college. Mother is the greatest Christian I

have ever met. Mother and Dad would always find worth in

everyone. I never knew either one of them to purposefully

attempt to hurt anyone and I witnessed them continually

attempting to uplift everyone.

They were

always looking for ways to share Christ with people. They

actually believed the gospel in its entirety. I can

remember when I was growing up how totally positive they

both were.

When I was

a child I could remember fishing half the day maybe

catching a couple of little perch. I would bring them

home and I would proudly show them to Mother or Dad and

just watch them glow with delight. My little perch

suddenly became eight-pound bass.

Dad for the

last nine years of his life was blind through glaucoma

and he became crippled. He also eventually developed

acute dementia. Mother is currently in our home at 89

and, due to a fall, is in a lot of pain.

When Dad

was still in his right mind he called me into his room

and said, "Son, we don't have any unfinished

business do we?" I thought for a while and said,

"Dad, I don't know of any." He said, "I

don't have any either." We had a prayer together and

I hugged him and left the room.

Mother in

all her pain continues to tell us she loves us.

I am not

attempting here to just uplift my parents, but there is

something very spiritually deep going on even into the

last days of one's life. If one's Christianity is real

and one has seriously followed Jesus and His teaching, it

shows up over and over again, not only in the productive

days of our lives but especially in the last days of our

lives.

This is the

way I want to leave this life. It is with the hope of

eternal life through the age-old story of "Jesus

loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so."

If you have

any "unfinished business," with your parents or

family members or with God, deal with it now before it is

too late.

The Rev.

Dr. Knox Herndon is the pastor of His House Community

Church (SBC) and a substitute school teacher in the

Fayette County school system, and a former Army chaplain.

The church is currently meeting in the American Legion

Log Cabin across from the fountain on the Square in

Fayetteville. Prayer line 770-719-2365 e-mail [email protected]