THE WHIRLWIND
“And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.”
2 Kings 2:11
Sunday afternoon I received an urgent prayer request from my parents that Pastor John Griswood of Lakewood Baptist Church in Powderly, TX, where I grew up, had a massive heart attack after preaching and that he wasn’t doing well. Shortly after that my dad called me with a broken voice to tell me that Bro. John didn’t make it. I was in shock along with so many others. Bro. John has been an unwavering part of many lives for so long and to think of him being gone is hard to process. The past few days have been a whirlwind of emotions and memories of how this man of God impacted my life. The picture at the top is one of my favorites with Bro. John’s arm around me smiling as I gave a testimony after summer camp when I was a teenager. He was an incredible example and influence in my life and he will be greatly missed.
HE WAS JOYFUL
My family got into church when I was about 5 or 6 years old and within the first few years, both churches they joined split due to some bad situations. It is likely that my parents were on the verge of giving up but then someone invited them to visit Lakewood Baptist Church. That’s when we met Pastor John Griswood. My first memory of him was doing a kids program throwing pies on the front lawn of the church. We fell in love with our new church family.
HE WAS DISCIPLINED
As a teenager, I began to waver into worldly things and lifestyles. I didn’t do well in public school, so my parents decided that for high school they would homeschool me. They both worked, so it wasn’t going to be the best option to do my school at home by myself and that’s when the Griswood’s offered to let me come to their house to do homeschooling. My dad would drop me off early in the morning, so he could be at work on time. I don’t ever remember a time when I didn’t see Bro. John sitting in the corner chair in the living room reading his Bible when I arrived.
HE WAS COMPASSIONATE
Many of you know what we went through when I was 16 years old. My older brother took his own life and guess who was there the entire time to care for us? Bro. John was so patient and loving to our family during that time. I can’t even begin to describe how important it was to have a caring Pastor by our side while we walked through this dark valley. His compassion towards our family, not just that day, but in the weeks, months and years to come was exactly what we needed.
HE WAS WISE
I got saved when I was 17 and my life began to change completely. I felt that God wanted more of me and I remember Bro. John helping me navigate going to Bible college and I even remember him being there to help me buy a car at one time. At very pivotal times in my life, he was there giving advice and praying for me. I know he did that for countless other people and we are so fortunate to have had him in our lives.
I could go on and on, but when Elijah was taken up in a whirlwind, it was a sudden and shocking event. Elisha was there to take up the mantle and went on to continue the legacy that Elijah left behind. I’ve witnessed an Elijah in my life that has been taken up to Heaven and I intend to take up the mantle of joyfulness, discipline, compassion and wisdom that he left behind. I’m not asking for a double portion… I don’t think that I could be half the man that Bro. John was. He was a faithful preacher in a rural community that many wouldn’t recognize… but I believe some of the greatest in Heaven will be men like Pastor John Griswood.
Has God brought a whirlwind in your life? I’m thankful that God doesn’t leave us without hope for the future. Let’s follow the godly example of those that have gone on before us and take up the mantle in order to glorify our Lord!
