This weekend Laura and I traveled down to Byrdstown, TN to say goodbye to her grandfather Pete Surrett. As the family gathered in the small country town we talked about the hardworking family man. I only met him once, but it left quite an impression on me. Laura and I were dating at the time when we came to visit him at his cabin on the lake. We sat down to talk and he only wanted to know one thing. He wasn't interested in my plans for the future or family background. He didn't ask about my car, my job or my past. The only thing he wanted to know was if I was saved. My relationship with Christ was the most important thing to Mr. Surrett. Much to my surprise, my enrollment in a Bible college and plan to go into ministry failed to answer his questions about my faith. Going through motions wouldn't impress him, he wanted to know that I had a guniune love for Jesus.
The most amazing part of this story was that my father-in-law told me the same story about when he met Pete Surrett. About 25 years earlier, he was asking the same questions. He might have owned a cleaning buisness, but Pete was an evangelist. It's amazing that after only meeting the man once, the impression he left was about the only thing that really matters. As I carried his casket to it's resting place I wondered, would I leave a legacy so strong? Am I talking about the only thing that matters or will my first impressions leave out the most important thing? I wish I could have known him better, I'm sure he could have taught me a lot, but I'm thankful for the lesson that he was able to pass on to me.
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