Because of God's goodness

in my life, as I negotiated adolescence my heroes were my pastors.

First, there was The Rev. E.

J. Hatcher (who was not related to my family as far as we could tell).

As I would prepare speeches with which to enter speaking contests, I could

always count on Rev. Hatcher to sit down with me and go over every word.

He would even invite me to rehearse my speech at Sunday night church meeting.

Although the speech may have been totally unrelated to spiritual matters,

he still encouraged me to stand up and speak forth. What encouragement!

Then, there was The Rev. John

Simmons (the next church he served after ours was Plains Baptist Church

where he pastored future president, Jimmy Carter).

Brother John detected God's

call on my life and spent countless hours caring for me and talking me

through issues of the day. He never presented himself as a super saint.

But he never flinched in his belief in God's Word with its tilt toward

God's grace.

I discovered something very

critical in developing friendships with my heroes: if you truly want a

vital friendship with a man who is married, you must get to know his wife

and you must demonstrate your fondness for her. It was no chore liking

Mrs. Hatcher, as she was called by most, as well liking Carol Simmons.

Mrs. Hatcher demonstrated her love for me by bragging on me at every turn

and called me their adopted son. Carol demonstrated her love by an invitation

to her table for "festival." It was the first time I ate tacos.

We still make tacos by Carol's recipe and still use her wonderful,

but simple recipe for the salsa. I remember we could laugh for hours.

If my mother wanted to check on me Sunday night or Wednesday night after

church, she knew where to call: the Simmons'.

Through the following years,

it was confirmed often: if you want a vital relationship with a married

man, get to know and get to like his wife. It provides a double dynamic

to your relationship.

And it's true, too, in

relationship with Jesus Christ. He is my ultimate hero.

No one ever cared for me like

Jesus. No one ever gave his life that I might live. No one day by day

whispers "sweet somethings" in my ear and continually lets me

know that I am the very apple of his eye. No matter what I do, where I

go, I know I'm Jesus' boy! What joy!

But did you know he has a bride?

Her name, the church. The Apostle Paul clarifies the relationship in Ephesians

5: 22-33. Paul emphasizes that just as Christ loved the church and gave

his life for the church, husbands ought to love their own wives. In fact,

Paul uses the relationship between Christ and his church as an appropriate

metaphor for a husband and his wife.

The New Year usually stirs

good stuff in our minds and hearts. One of the stirrings is for more spiritual

connectedness. We want to be more closely associated with things of the

Spirit: those things which we cannot see, but know are as real as water.

But how? You can only read just so many books on purpose and direction

and connection.

I suggest you try what I discovered

years ago. If you want to be more vitally connected and related to Jesus

Christ, get to know and show your fondness for his bride, the church.

That means more than one hit a week.

That means spending time with

her. Finding out what she likes and what it takes for her to flourish.

That means doing favors for her and being there when she calls out. When

she meets, be there. When she calls for volunteers, step up. When she

seems a little infirmed, offer aid. When she is radiant in all her splendor,

tell her and tell her husband. Praise him for his selection. When you

are around her, rejoice and be glad. Through your connection with his

bride, Jesus Christ will be more vital and real in your life.

Will you make the effort this

year to love your Lord's loveliest?

John Hatcher is pastor of Outreach

International Center, 1091 South Jeff Davis Drive, Fayetteville, Georgia

30215. 770-719-0303

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