Rabun For the Gospel

by Avery Lawrence – Pastor of Persimmon Baptist Church

“We live in a world in which we need to share responsibility. It’s easy to say, ‘It’s not my child, not my community, not my world, not my problem.’ Then there are those who see the need and respond. I consider those people my heroes.” ~ Mr. (Fred) Rogers Things have changed. Times have changed. We have changed. Or have we?

I am so blessed to live in the North Georgia Mountains, a place where community really means something. Just this past Mother’s Day, in my sermon, I remembered and honored all of the ladies who were instrumental in my relationship with Jesus Christ. So many people have invested in me personally. Growing up, both my Mama and Daddy worked full-time jobs. Daddy actually worked two. He would operate heavy equipment for the county during the day, and worked as a logger in the evenings and on Saturday. I remember taking supper to him and he would stop long enough to eat, then finish loading the log truck by the headlights. All of this would start again at the break of dawn. But on Sundays, he rested. He didn’t go to church, but he respected the Sabbath. When we (my brother and sister) were little, Mama would go to church sometimes, but not really on a regular basis. Every Summer though, there were a host of Godly women who would arrange to take us to Vacation Bible School. Sometimes, we would go to 5 or 6 different Vacation Bible Schools each Summer. Mama would rush home to make sure we were fed before we left. The ladies would come to the house 30 minutes or so beforehand to pick us up, and would bring us home each night. I still remember how good those Winn Dixie cookies and Kool-Aid tasted. My point in saying this, is they didn’t have an obligation to my family, but they saw a spiritual need in my family and they responded. They showed us love, compassion, and were doing their best to instill in us the love that only God could have for us. They taught us scripture and treated us like royalty. These ladies have become surrogate grandmothers to me. They have shed tears of sadness and tears of joy with my family throughout the years. They have lifted me up and encouraged me, while making sure I have stayed humble. More importantly, they have prayed for me and taught me how to pray. Most of these ladies’ husbands too, have been an integral part of my spiritual walk with Jesus. These folks are MY heroes. Heroes of the Faith. (Carolyn and Doug Foster, Kay Jo and Curtis Moore, and Cheryl Hooper just to name a few.) Jane Henry was an IBM employee from Tampa, Florida. She and her husband bought some property near our family and built a vacation cabin. I don’t think she ever thought that she would change the world (at least my family’s world) with her kindness and love for Jesus. Jane and her husband, Joe, quickly became close friends of our family. She would take us to church, then take us to their cabin and fix the most exquisite lunches which included fresh buttered bread. We thought she was fancy! She would read us stories from the Bible and encourage us to memorize scriptures. She would offer us money when we memorized specific passages! We didn’t have a lot of money, so this was indeed a treat for us! She was wise beyond her years, and knew what Psalm 119:11 promised: Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee. She was sowing the seeds of the Word in our hearts; casting her bread upon the water. Never once did she show my family anything but love, compassion, and support. She was the closest thing to an angel I had ever met! “Goodna Graysha” she’d say when something didn’t go as planned, but she never had a harsh or unkind word to say about anybody or anything. She truly followed in the footsteps of Jesus. She was a praying woman too. There was nothing too little nor too big to take to God. As I grew older and invited Jesus into my life as my personal Savior, she was the first one I needed to tell. As my spiritual life grew, along the way, I needed to keep Jane updated. She and her husband sold the house to fully retire in Tampa. As the years passed by, I felt the call to preach. Again, she was first on the list to call. It was as an adult, that I fully realized the impact she had on my life. Every time I talk to her, she tells me, “I still pray for you every day.” One of the greatest

Avery Lawrence is the Pastor of Persimmon Baptist Church. Avery is a native of Rabun County and has a great love for Jesus and passion to share the gospel. Avery is the assistant principal at Rabun County Middle School and is loved by all. He is married to Nawana and is step-dad to Casi Best, but more than that he is “Poppy” to Anni and Homer Liam.

gifts I have ever been given is the prayers of Godly people. You see, it was her investment in a little “hillbilly” family that caused the three children to surrender their lives to Jesus Christ...that caused my little Granny to start taking us to church on Sundays...that caused my mama to swallow her pride and to go to church without my daddy...that caused three children to witness and minister to their family...that caused my daddy to give in to his convictions and surrender his life to Jesus. Uncles, aunts, cousins, and neighbors were born again through the faithfulness and dedication of this woman. She will never know the full impact she has had in this world, but I am picking up the phone to call her now. Edit – As I picked up the phone to dial her, I had a horrible feeling. When I dialed her number, it had been disconnected. I searched for alternate phone numbers and finally reached her son Rodger in Soddy Daisy, Tennessee. Jane passed away on February 9, 2021. The words she left behind? “The love of my life is Jesus Christ and my most precious possession is my Bible which is the Word of God.” I sure wish I could have said goodbye, but the hardest goodbyes make the sweetest hellos. I will see her again!