God-Given Memories

One of God’s greatest gifts is that of memory. I spent much of my birthday last week attending the funeral service and burial for one of the finest men I ever knew – Dr. Jack MacGorman, Professor of New Testament and Greek for more than fifty years at Southwestern Baptist Seminary.  He had died two days before his 101st birthday. He shared with me often about how, in his student days, he played intermural football with my Dad, on the lawn in front of the seminary Rotunda (Yes, my Dad would be 103 were he still alive. They were seminary classmates). One day, in the faculty room, Dr. MacGorman told of his student days when he and five fellow students skipped Greek class to attend an exhibition baseball game at Fort Worth’s LaGrave Field, between the New York Yankees and the Minor League Fort Worth Cats. Unfortunately, the Greek professor found out about it and scheduled an oral exam for the next class meeting. Later I asked Dr. MacGorman if he had been to a Cats’ game in the new LaGrave Field. He had not, so I arranged to take him. As fate would have it, the game we attended was tied in the seventh inning. Since he was already in his eighties, I asked if he needed to leave the game early to get home. In his best Nova Scotia-born accent he informed me that he would not leave until the game was over. The game was not over until nearly midnight and when I got him home, his wife was waiting on the front steps, hands on hips.  Precious memories! Even spending my birthday attending the funeral of a friend, could not diminish fond remembrances. Dr. MacGorman, “I thank my God upon every remembrance of you” (Philippians 1:3). I can picture he and my Dad reminiscing, even as they rejoice today, on the golden streets of heaven.  Spend some time today, reflecting on God-given memories.