My first stop for the day was with Mrs Reid.  I was looking forward to this visit very much as Mrs Reid is the widow of Rev. Sam Reid who was my minister when I was growing up in Riverside. Mr. Reid also served in Stranraer and Ballyclare. What a privilege to be able to read and pray with someone who has prayed for me for years.  It was great to get caught up on the details of her son and daughters with whom I shared Sabbath school classes many years ago.  I shared with Mrs Reid some of the many happy memories that I had of days in Riverside and the lessons that the Lord was weaving in to my mind decades ago through SLR’s ministry (as a boy I was always fascinated by my minister’s initials).  The lesson that echoes repeatedly in my mind  from Rev. Reid’s ministry was a question that I asked him when I was 17.  At a united CY meeting I was interviewing him and asked, What keeps you in the ministry?  To which he replied, “God has called me.”  Those four words of a godly pastor have been used of God to keep me in the ministry over and over again throughout the past 15 years.

Mrs Reid wouldn’t be too keen in me saying too much about her – but I can’t resist – I know she will forgive me.  I was struck in the hour that I had in her home – how this dear lady loved Jesus Christ more and more each day and delighted in His Word and His church.  Her little kitchen notice board a place of prayer for the work of the kingdom.  In her life I was reminded again of the wonderful sufficiency of the Lord for His servants in all  the different seasons of life.  In her love for the Church of the Covenant I could see once more that it was and it is the prayers of Mrs Reid and others like her that the Lord is using to pour down His blessing on us in our day.

Traveled a short distance from Mrs Reid’s home to visit another widow – Mrs Gilmour.  She is the widow of the late Rev. Gilmour who served in Cullybackey for many years.  Mrs Gilmour is an active and faithful member of the Cullbackey congregation.  My visit with Mrs Gilmour was a real blessing for me.  Though she is unable to hear we were able to communicate by me writing down on her notepad all that I wanted to say.  She patiently followed along with her finger my poor writing – smiling and nodding at the appropriate places.  This dear lady still is present in worship every Lord’s Day where she is helped in participating in the services by the minister providing his notes for her to read.  Her example to a rising generation is fantastic.  Sadly so many today have been sucked in by the idea – I will go to worship if it suits me.  Mrs Gilmour and others of her generation go to worship because it delights God and encourages the church of Christ.  We would do well to learn from these saints of God for whom the very dust of Zion is a joy.

From Mrs Gilmour’s home it was again a short trip to call with Rev Wallace and Mrs Margaret McCollum.  It was a joy to be with these dear friends for lunch and to talk together of the things of Christ’ s Kingdom and His blessing on our families.  Rev. McCollum served for many years in the Cullbackey congregation before taking early retirement  but like so many of our men retirement isn’t really a word  that Rev. McCollum knows.  His service for Christ goes on in the Northern Presbytery in a host of ways – interim moderatorships, visiting, preaching, clerk etc etc.  Any young man training for ministry should spend some time with this experienced pastor to learn how to love the people of God.  Rev. McCollum is gifted with the blessing of remembering names of generation after generation of families.  But perhaps it is not a gift at all – simply a heart that loves Christ and loves men and women and longs to see sinners draw near to Christ. Mrs McCollum’s assistance and help for her husband in his ministry continues to be a model that all minister’s wives can look to and learn.

It was such a privilege to have time with this godly couple.  Do pray for them as they continue to serve Christ.

From Cullybackey I traveled on with Rev. McCollum to my aunt’s funeral in Ballymoney.  Once more I had many reasons to thank God for the blessing of belonging to the RPCI.  The minister Rev. Edward McCollum clearly and compassionately presented the gospel to the congregation.  My mum and dad’s minister, Rev. Simon Sweeney had traveled to be there for their sake; Rev. W. McCollum had visited my aunt even though she was never a member of his congregation.  I thank God that I belong to a church that preaches the word and the pastors seek to pastor God’s people.

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