I am Afraid
I am sitting here at the in-laws house, I will be traveling back to Castle Rock this afternoon. And I am afraid. As most of you know, I was in Tennessee to conduct the funeral of my dear friend and mentor Burnice Wesbrooks. At the services, I was the minister, therefore there to help those who were suffering with grief. My role was to be a servant, it would have been the role of Burnice, putting his wishes second to those around him. Now that the funeral is over, I feel like I have my opportunity to grieve and miss my friend. The future seems a lot more uncertain to me now, not that I have any doubts of being a minister or being at Castle Rock, but I am uncertain about the role that Burnice played in my life. I have always had men mentor me from the Preacher who baptized me to Ray Wiseman who worked with me while in Nova Scotia, and then Burnice came a long by the providence of God and provided that role perfectly. I am afraid because I always called him for help. He always helped. Today, I feel a lot more empowered as a minister. Fortunately, because of experience and education and the fact that I read one hundred books a year, I have a lot more tools to do ministry. But Burnice was always there during the hard times of the work. You always could count on his wisdom and instruction. I feel like Joshua after the passing of Moses. And I believe the instruction that Joshua from the Lord was “DO NOT BE AFRAID.” Because of this, I press on into the uncertain future without my dear friend. I am certain of two things, I am now the mentor or that the Lord will provide. I feel as I leave Tennessee that I am crossing the river, and I must lead now on my own. Thank you Burnice for being the greatest mentor and friend that any young minister ever knew. Thank you for being me to this point. “I will not be afraid, Lord.”
Related posts:
- Are We Afraid of Discipling Now
- Going to Tennessee this Weekend
- The Best Gift Ever
- Prayers for My Dear Friend
- Leaving for Memphis Tomorrow
About The Author
Hi Matthew,
I am Mandy Petitt, Burnice’s niece. He was a wonderful Christian man and will be dearly missed. I know that he is in a much better place now and is no longer in pain and that makes me happy, although, I am still grieving losing him. You conducted a wonderful service and he would be so proud. On behalf of Aunt Linda and all of the family, thank you so much.
The best tribute you can give to your mentor is/will be seen in how conscientious you are mentoring other young preachers.
I was in the middle of getting my counseling license when I received a call on a Monday evening. My supervisor had died of a sudden heart attack. It shook my world professionally but also personally. I revered Dr. Greenwalt like no one else I ever had. I grieved for a long while. I was, like you, afraid. Soon after his untimely passing, I met a new man who continued the work Dr. Greenwalt had started. While “lost” is a good word to describe those of us who lose our mentors suddenly, by trusting in God, He will continue to provide us with the guidance we need.
I know how you feel. When I was a much younger preacher I had one of the finest elders the Lord ever had as my next door neighbor. After I moved from that place I came back to conduct his funeral. I think I must have stood in the pulpit several minutes before I could compose myself enough to speak. He’s been gone several years but I still often think of him and what he would say or do in certain situations. Then about five years ago the preacher who first encouraged me to preach passed away. I hope in some way I can conduct myself as to demonstrate that these men were not wrong in placing their confidence in me. I suggest the same to you and your mentor.
Thank you everyone for your faith and encouragement.
Amen and God bless