(editorial note: Check "Our Sojourns" tab on JITrekking.com for our 2018 Sojourning Schedule)
Irene and I with the Pruitt Family -
(l to r) Amy, Jim, Irene, Vicky, Richard, Becky
From September 1975 until July 1977 I attended White's Ferry Road School of Preaching (WFRSoP). At the time WFRSoP was an elite school in the brotherhood and schools of preaching across the brotherhood were pumping out preachers at an amazing clip. The brotherhood was coming to the close of its most evangelistic period in its history.
The class I was in at school was the largest class that would ever attend WFRSoP. There were 35 in our class and that didn't include the 3 or 4 in the School of Personal Evangelism that attended many of our classes with us.
We were a motley crew: 2 or 3 were in their 40s; a couple had already served 20 years in the military. We had at least one that had already served a nickel in a state penitentiary for drug issues. We had several who had decided at a mid-point in their lives to go into the ministry.
I had just been discharged from the military as a conscientious objector having become a Christian in Minot, North Dakota while in the Air Force and believing (and still do) that Jesus meant what he said in Luke 6:27-36:
“But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you. “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
So, I believe that belonging to an organization (the military) whose sole purpose is to kill people and break things is inconsistent with faith in God who "loves all men and desires for them to come to repentance."
But that's another theological discussion for a different blog posting I suppose because what THIS post is about is Richard (and Vicky) Pruitt.
Richard was in my class and came to school having left his job with 3 small children in tow - Amy was 6 or 7, Becky was 4 or 5 and "little Ricky" was not quite 3. They lived in Alabama near (or in) Birmingham before he started school. He was a "good, old southern boy."
Richard struggled with WFRSoP academically speaking. You know how Forest Gump's momma used to say "Life is like a box of Chocolates, you just never know what you're gonna get!" Well, I'm pretty sure Richard's momma used to tell him "Richard, you're about a dumb as a box of chocolates!" lol But they always said in school "If you're putting forth 100% effort, you will NOT fail a class." Richard, studied, read and wrote those papers for every class. He struggled with memory work. I never saw his "report cards" but I'm pretty sure they were "Mercy Bs" and "Grace Cs" down the line.
Richard always had a funny saying; a quick witted line to make a point or explain his struggle. He was self-effacing in the most hilarious way. He was a joy to be around and the best of classmates and friends.
I was quite on the opposite end of the spectrum when it came to the academics of school. While others spent hours and hours pouring over and writing and rewriting their research papers - I read some books while writing down cogent points and wrote mine while watching Monday Night Football. I got ONE C+ while I was in school. Every other class was an A with a rare B showing up on my "report card."
But, two "life changing events" happened to me while I was in the School of Preaching:
1. 7 months after school started my sons, Joshua and Joel were born while I was in the school of preaching. Vicky was there to helped the boy's mom any time she could be, knowing she was struggling with depression: Giving her advice; Watching the boys to give her some down time.
2. During the 2nd year I was diagnosed with having a Malignant Melanoma on my upper left chest necessitating an excisional surgery, skin grafting from my leg and removal of all the lymph glands under my left arm.
Following my surgery, Richard was the first school mate at my bedside when they rolled me into my room from the recovery room. "Is there anything I can do for you, Jim," he asked. "I'm kinda hungry. How about a mushroom pizza from Round Table Pizza, brother." Off he went and within 1/2 hour I had that "nectar from God" - a mushroom pizza sliding into my empty belly. It was marvelous. (My Surgeon was traumatized when he found out I'd eaten ANYTHING much less a whole small pizza so soon after surgery. "Are you hungry Mr. Gordon?" "No, I just ate a pizza about an hour ago." "YOU DID WHAT????)
When he graduated from school, Richard and a team of about 3 or 4 other classmates moved to Argentina to preach the gospel. He did an amazing work. The team started one or more new churches. He was there for 7 or 8 years.
Flash forward 10 years after school. It's 1987 and Irene, the kids and I are traveling through Huntsville, AL and find out that Richard, Vicky and the kids are living there. We stopped and Richard, Vicky, Becky and Ricky (Amy was already at Harding College) met Irene and this new passel of kids we had. They made us all feel so special. Vicky made us spaghetti for lunch. Becky taught the kids a card game called "nerts." Richard told me they were just about to move to Smithville, TX. The congregation there had hired him to be their minister.
Why the nostalgic look back through time. Flash forward another 30 years to this week. We found out earlier this year that Richard, Vicky and the Girls all live in Longview, TX. That's only 20 miles from Camp Bee where we sojourners have our Yearly Workshop where we select the Sojourns we want to be part of the NEXT year. So, we made contact and met them this past Tuesday night for the evening.
Other than being older, "fluffier," saggier and more forgetful - the years just melted away. What a lovely evening. We went to Papacita's for dinner. We saw a grown up Amy (whom I hadn't seen since she was 8 or 9). She's now a social worker at a hospice. Becky is now married and we met her husband Chris and her son Caleb. Both Becky and Chris are teachers. She's a ..... Spanish teacher (thanks Argentina) and Chris is a middle school PE teacher (I think). Caleb is 13 or 14. Richard and Vicky live in a "mother-in-law" wing of Chris and Becky's house. Richard is one of the elders at the Alpine Church of Christ in Longview, Texas.
Thank God for His wonderful grace of putting people in your life that can be your example of becoming like Christ. Richard is one of mine: Loving Husband, Faithful servant of God who has squeezed every bit of talent and ability God gave him out upon the altar of God to say "Thank you Father for saving me in your Son, Jesus the Christ."
(editorial note: Check "Our Sojourns" tab on JITrekking.com for our 2018 Sojourning Schedule)
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