Blessed With a Home by Dr. Juan Harrison

It’s been my church home since I was a boy moving from the farm to the city.  A few years later at 18 as a college freshman home for the summer working at the feed mill the pastor stopped by.  He got me to start teaching junior high boys as the beginning of a Sunday school teaching career that now approaches 60 years.  It’s been my honor.  I’ve always said you don’t really know a subject like you do when you have to teach it to someone else.

I married there almost 50 years ago after meeting my wife on a church trip to a Ranger game after coming home from the war.  My wife was baptized there in our first year of marriage.  Both boys were blessed to do so in their youth.

Together she and I did bus ministry handing out candy on Saturdays.  Some Sunday afternoons, she and her best friend Pat would join me at a nursing home where they sang and I preached.  She said I even woke a couple of em up.  My wife had spent her youth in our church going to camps and helping paint old people’s houses in the summer as part of their youth ministry.

I reckon together we’ve taught about every age group in the church over the years.  I served in every capacity from building committee, deacon, trustee, treasurer, usher, teacher and finally visitation pastor to shut-ins after I retired from school administration.

Every assignment has been a joy.  In the military I got to serve in churches here and overseas.  My favorite job then was youth pastor for a small church in Hahn, Germany.  These days my wife and I have been honored to serve as teachers in a class of 60-90 year olds for many years.  We have a special spirit there almost like a church within a church.  Each member looks out for one another providing food and transportation to one another when needed.  They keep the phone lines hot.  We spend more time going around the room sharing blessings, prayer requests, and updates on church members than actually teaching.  My wife hosts frequent painting parties as another talented class member Rannah, helps em create masterpieces of art.  My wife also uses her talent and desire of phone talking to check on everyone and their husbands.  If they need me to do something I try to oblige.  The highlight of our year is our Christmas party with appearances sometimes from Minnie Pearl and Elvis.  I have to confess Elvis almost died performing “Hunka, Hunka of Burning Love” last Christmas.  I’m ready to meet my maker as Vonda Wright and I agreed.  I just hated to leave before dessert.

[adning id=”33207″]