Had lunch today

with one of the great shepherds of Fayette County. He's not a pastor of

a mega-church (probably would not want to be), but his ministry has served

the test of time like more than 20 years after founding the North Fayette

Baptist Church.

He's Dr. Jim

Willis, one of the most secure and likable ministers one could know. Life,

however, continues to perfect him. He and his wife, Terry, have been faithful

to raise their wonderful children in the ways of the Lord and have given

extraordinary care to Ben, a severely handicapped young man who has brought

great joy into their lives along with fervent prayers for grace. Now,

Pastor Willis faces cancer.

He's one of

the few men who has breast cancer. I remember him telling me of the humbling

experience of waiting his turn in a room full of women for diagnostic

testing. He went through the same ordeal as they. But today, you never

could tell it, sitting across from lunch with him. Sure, he went ahead

and shaved his hair off. He never had that much. But a little can be a

lot, if you know what I mean.

He sat there

handling his cancer much like he handled his son Ben. With joy and with

a sense that he was not placed on earth to moan and groan, but to encourage

and lift up. Imagine that! He's the one with cancer and he's encouraging

me, whispering sweet thoughts of love and appreciation and esteem into

my ears. Wow! Did cancer do that for him? No! Cancer just becomes the

context in which we see what a person is really like.

Last week,

following his most recent chemotherapy, his blood count was very, very

low. He wanted to get up and go, but just didn't have the energy. But

ministry must go on. He had arranged for someone to preach at his church,

but could not find anyone to preach at Christian City where his church

has ministered for years. So, guess who dressed up his low blood count

and went out to minister to folks who probably felt better than he: that's

right, a Fayette shepherd Jim Willis.

I know we ministers

have our bad apples and sometimes we are the bad apples. But, at times,

there comes along a Jim Willis who redeems a whole bunch of us bad apples

before the witness of Biblical faith and all the heroes of faith.

Jim, Hebrews

11, in my book, has another verse and it has your name on it. Thank you

for showing the rest of us the way when there seems to be no way. You

are a genuine article, a hero of faith.

The Rev. Dr. John Hatcher is pastor

of River's Edge

Community Church in Fayetteville.

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