October 2007 in the Smokey Mountains
We were blessed to have Cecil and Patti May stay at our home last night. I recently wrote about a special day when Patti sent a Honey Bun Cake our way. In spite of her good intentions, she was unable to bring one to me this visit. I really could write a dozen posts describing how special Cecil and Patti have been to us in our lives. We will never forget that in the weeks after John Robert’s death, while we were in Tennessee trying to get a mental grip on what had happened, the Mays came to see us. They planned an outing complete with a picnic in the mountains, a drive over to Ashville, and a pancake breakfast the next morning. It was quite a respite from our pain for the day.
Cecil came to speak during our short summer series at Forsythe. He brought a fantastic message from the book of Hebrews about Melchizedek. It was a really strong message for mature Christians to chew on. I appreciate the time he put into it.
But that doesn’t surprise me about Cecil. Cecil is a great writer, an excellent speaker, a very community-involved public servant, an elder, and a preacher (and many other things as well), but few people will know about these things. He was crucial to the beginning of Habitat for Humanity in their county. As a Rotarian he is involved with helping many through their service projects. So I’ve chided him often that he has no blog, he doesn’t do FaceBook, he hasn’t attempted to write for journals. (He does Twitter, though!) In short, he hasn’t promoted himself. Yes, that is a humble spirit. But there’s a big brotherhood out there who is missing a great resource!
For fifteen years Cecil and Patti have been serving the Parkway Church of Christ in Fulton, Kentucky. Patti has been patiently teaching young children as a public school teacher. And to me, they are just these bright lights tucked away in the Southwestern corner of Kentucky – stars in the universe. I’m certain that their church loves them. Even though their service and devotion may go unnoticed by many, I have no doubt that there is One who sees. That’s all that really matters.
As I conclude these thoughts I’m feeling dumb that I did not get a new picture of Cecil and Patti … I meant to. And I also know that everyone will be reading about Farrah Fawcett, Ed McMahon, and Michael Jackson. So if you stopped by, bless you!
Thanks for reading,
John
Great pic of y’all. I’m glad you had a good time.
Thank you so much for keeping us all up to date on the happenings in your life. You mentioned the passing of Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson. This evening as I watched the news I was reminded that it matters little what you have acquired in life, you can’t take it with you. It sure matters how you lived your life and where you will spend eternity.
I find people who keep the lowest profile and desire the least amount of attention to be some of the most servant-hearted people in the kingdom. I’m grateful for people such as Cecil and Patti May, though I’ve never met them. Thanks for sharing this.
Of course I stopped by… I always stop by. I feel like I know Cecil and Patti!
Couldn’t have said it better myself.
Thanks for the nice comments, John. We had a great time on our Monroe trip.
Cecil
JD, I’ve been meaning to make that Honey Bun cake ever since you first shared the recipe with us. I finally got around to it today…it’s in the oven right now. Sorry I can’t bring you a piece. But it’s in LR, feel free to come get some! :)
I loved this post. He is a great example of serving the Lord without promoting himself. Thanks for the inspiration!
Great friends are precious jewels. I imagine you and Maggy have many friends who would say the same words of love and kindness about you.