Thank you, Pastor John R. Best!

When someone passes on, you reminisce with people about them. There are usually great stories to tell of the wonderful memories you have had with them.

Often times, when someone passes, everyone suddenly only remembers the good things. At times, that person is put on a pedestal as the best person ever. That is normal, you did and do still love them. I used to use the word canonize. I would say that when a person passes away people canonized them. I looked up the word and I am not sure I would use that any longer but the word has one meaning as follows, “to declare (a deceased person) an officially recognized saint.” That is sort of what I mean when I say they suddenly only remember the good.

Pastor John R. Best passed away and we were recently at his service. We have known him since 1998 when he sold us his mother’s house. From that day on, he was our friend and like family. We only became closer with all of them. I know what I just said above, but it is true, there are only good memories of him and only good things to say. Honestly! Ask anyone! There were a lot of testimonies at church stating just the same. I had talked with his sister and said that our family had said there would never be another like him and she said you all can be. She said you can be, it is being like Christ. She was right, that is how Pastor was. He strived to be. I am not sure others can be like Pastor was, but his family probably comes close. She was right and it makes me want to try harder. He was such a special friend.

You may have disagreed with some of his beliefs at times, but he was still a good person. Never a word against anyone. He visited us as did his mother. You have read some of my stories about Dorothy, his mother, if you read my blogs. They invited us to church and did not give up on us. They were responsible for leading us to salvation. Dorothy held my hand when I was giving my testimony for my baptism.

Pastor Best spent a lot of time at our house teaching us the Bible, praying with us for our families, counseling us and just being a friend. We played games together, we watched movies, he told stories. He had a great sense of humor, as he would tell a funny story, he would sort of giggle while he was talking and it was infectious. Sometimes it was sort of a dry humor and then we would catch on and laugh a bit delayed, but it was a good sense of humor! He and his family were like our family. We love everyone of them. He was there for every and anything we needed. He had the ability to be led by the Lord to show up at our house when we needed him the most. He said he just felt like he should come by. He did that for several other people too. It was good that he did and the outcome was changed by his visit. I doubt that we would still be married if he had not stopped by that day. Praise the Lord. It is actually funny now. He just sat there quietly and kept smiling at us. Wessie was pacing around. Finally he asked Pastor if I called him. He said no and asked why. We all laughed and he did not leave until all was well.

His smiling face was up during the service and I have to say, I have seen that smile every single time we saw him and I will miss seeing it. When I think of him, though, I still see it. I will just start babbling here if I continue. I just want to say thank you Pastor John R. Best for being our friend, our pastor, counselor, you name it. Most of all, thank you for loving us and our family. We will miss you greatly.