“If any of you wants to serve me, then follow me. Then you’ll be where I am, ready to serve at a moment’s notice. The Father will honor and reward anyone who serves me” (John 12:26 Msg).
I would do anything to just be around the three men in this photo. From left to right they are my maternal grandfather, Walter Dillon; my uncle, Basil Dillon; and my father, Claude Combs. These three men were major influences on my life.
I learned early on though, that if I wanted to be with them, I had to follow them. You really couldn’t be with these kind of men without working shoulder to shoulder with them. They did stuff. They didn’t just sit around.
So, I followed them around asking questions…
“Daddy, can I drive the Buick?” I would ask at the age of eight.
“Sure, just climb into my lap… there you go. You’re driving.” My dad would respond.
“Hey Uncle Basil, how do you play that chord again?” I’d say, while stretching my fingers across the guitar’s fretboard.
“Put your index here and your ring finger here…” He’d say, while placing my fingers where they went.
“Hey Papaw, can I help?” I’d wonder, as I watched him drive his mule team through a field of brown dirt.
“Here you go, Son. Take the reins like this. There now, steady… that’s right. Just don’t tell your Granny I let you do this.” He’d respond, punctuating his answer with a spit of tobacco juice.
I had to follow these men to be with them. And they did things, so I had to do things too.
As a pastor, I often hear people say that they want to be with me. People want to hang out with me. Surely not because I’m so attractive, but more likely because I’m the guy up front on Sunday.
I try to explain to them that the best way to be my friend is to follow my Friend. You see, Jesus is at work and I am following Him. Jesus is at work and so am I. Jesus is on the move and I’m pursuing Him.
If we want to be where Jesus is, then we have to follow and serve Him.
The three men in the photo are with Him now. I’m still here, but I’m following.