~The Mission Foundation~

"When your memories of the past are more precious to you than your dreams of the future, that's when you begin to die." - Jim Downing, former Chief Operation Officer for the Navigators, soon to be 100 years old!

Dear friends,

It’s not every day that one has the opportunity to run the hills of Hebron with Caleb!

 Friday afternoon at about four o’clock, having just arrived in Ruston, Becky and I stopped at Green Clinic where, as some of you know, our son Jake has worked as a physician for almost five years.  To our surprise our very dear, long-time friends Polly and Wayne Smith were there.  With them was the guest speaker for the weekend conference that Wayne had organized – Mr. Jim Downing. 

Mr. Jim, who had already spoken to an early-morning men’s group, had taken a fall and could not move his left leg and therefore had to use a wheelchair.  Also, he had been traveling extensively (This being his fourth state in four consecutive weeks to speak!), and apparently he had contracted a virus which was causing fever, nausea, and weakness.  We were thankful that the x-rays showed no fracture.  Also, Jake cleansed and re-wrapped his left foot which is in poor condition due to diabetes and gave him some medicine for nausea. 

About thirty minutes before the conference was to begin it became apparent to Mr. Jim that he should not speak but instead seek to get as much rest as possible with the plan of meeting with the men on Saturday morning at 9 a.m.  When the crowd of men came into the Smith home that morning, Mr. Jim was sitting in front of the fireplace in his wheelchair waiting for them! (I have been told that he’s always the first to arrive.)

What a clear mind!  Amazing!  What expectation that lives would be impacted!  Not only did he speak but he engaged in an extensive and very helpful Q&A time with the men.

At noon, when the conference was over, three of us had to lift Mr. Jim into his bed.  Although he was scheduled to speak at Monday Morning for Men at 6 a.m. and then again in Shreveport on Monday evening, it seemed that it was probably best to make proper travel arrangements for his return to Colorado Springs where he could give further attention to his hip injury.

But this was his Caleb-like report:  “This is what I came to do!”  So on Monday Morning, when I arrived at First National Bank’s community conference room just before six o’clock, there was Mr. Jim at the front in his wheelchair with his microphone on, waiting for the men!  For the next hour and a half men were blessed to interact with this aged warrior.  How invigorating it was to watch him sprinting down the home stretch!      

Later that morning an MRI was done of Mr. Jim’s hip, and then – he was off to Shreveport!  His answer to concerns:  “A car-ride is refreshing to me!”  How did it go?  Well, here is the most recent word I have received from Wayne Smith:  “He flew back to Colorado Springs in good spirits! Had a great evening in Shreveport at Broadmoor Baptist church on Monday with 30 + guys. A survivor of the Pearl Harbor attack now living in Shreveport made a special trip to visit with him before the program. They had a great time of reminiscing.”  (Mr. Jim is the oldest living survivor of Pearl Harbor.)  

One day the most glorious reminiscing will begin!  It will be the reminiscing of those who never quit dreaming and doing all the way to the end!  Forever and ever men and women will be saying to one another, “Do you remember when . . . ?”  And not one deed done for the Kingdom will ever grow dim in their minds!

I close with the ‘Prayer of an Old Man’:  “Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, my God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your mighty acts to all who are to come.” (Psalm 71:18). 

                                                                                    Let’s run the hills!

                                                                                    Rod (for Bec and me)