Lessons from Bennie

A dear saint went home to be with the Lord a few years back, he had a profound impact on my life. I met Bennie in the 1980’s, I was in my early 30’s, he was a retired older man, the building superintendent at our church. 

Brother Bennie would catch me in the hallway and remind me (more than once) to leave the classroom chairs in order when leaving the room after Sunday School and Youth Group. One day after service, he asked me to take a little walk with him, we ended up at the Youth Room. He opened the door and showed me the empty room,  the chairs looked like there had been an explosion. Bennie was a pleasant combination of gruff and sweet, he said what he thought. His reason for our little walk was for me to answer two questions that were bothering him. 1. Why did I leave this mess for someone else to straighten? 2. Did I like it when I walked into the room on Sunday and Wednesday and the room was in perfect order?  I didn’t answer, he was teaching, I hugged him. 

That was almost 40 years ago. From that day forward, when I leave a room in any church, I look back to make sure the chairs are back the way I found them and always think of Bennie … a man of integrity, respectful of God’s property, always teaching.  

Bennie walked in miracles, his prayers were powerful, he was most likely very surprised when Jesus showed him the length and breadth of his earthly ministry. 

Proverbs 27:17 Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.