I had the privilege of meeting brother Greison (as I called him) forty-one years ago this month. He was a friend of my grandfather who pastored in Kansas, and came as a guest speaker at the church our family attended in Springfield, Missouri. My parents entertained the Greisons in our home (I will always be indebted to them for that), and that is how this great man of God became my friend.
We corresponded by mail a few times. I wish I would have saved the letters. On other occasions I had the opportunity to sit with him in his home office at the Wheat State Campgrounds just east of Wichita and listen to his stories from the past. I even have a few treasured items he gave me from his collection of mission’s souvenirs. They are now on display in my office.
So why am I taking you on this trip down memory lane? To show you the impact an eighty-year-old preacher had on a twelve-year-old kid. An impact felt just as much today, if not more so, than it was in March 1973.
Never underestimate the impact you can have in the life of a young person. Do not miscalculate the lasting power of your godly imprint. And don’t undervalue the influence of your example and words.
As a seasoned believer in Jesus Christ, you have more to offer than you know. Don’t hold back. Be a model and a voice to the next generation, “Telling the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and His strength and His wonderful works that He has done.” (Psalm 78:4)
Pastor Todd Weston