I have a friend I've never met. Several years ago, through the six degrees of Facebook, I was introduced to Joe McKeever. Joe is a retired Baptist preacher and Director of Missions who has had about as active a retirement as anyone I know.
Joe regularly travels across the nation speaking to churches, local Baptist associations, senior groups, youth groups, you name it, and I've heard is available for about anything else except possibly a briss. He started drawing cartoons earlier in life and is now a regular contributor to many publications with his whimsical, sometimes pointed observations, in regards to everyday life and the church. He writes a regular blog that has been picked up and republished by such nationally known publications as Christianity Today. He's a fixture on social media such as Facebook where his "One Minute Bible Studies" are a daily feature and he otherwise engages regularly as most on Facebook do. I just pray one day I'm as productive as Joe is in retirement, heck sometimes, even in the day today.
Being a former pastor Joe has a heart for those of us serving in our unique callings. Many times you will read where a pastor with troubles in their church has contacted Joe and sought advice. Joe never mentions a name, but will use these situations to help edify those of us who any day could face such a challenge. I myself have sought out his wisdom a few times, and he has always been there with honest feedback in a timely manner, in spite of his hectic schedule.
I honestly marvel at Joe's still burning fire to serve God, grace and love for people.
But last Friday, tragedy struck Joe and his family. Joe's wife of around fifty years, Margaret, suffered a massive heart attack while out of the home. Over the last week as he sat patiently in a waiting room, as all pastors have done countless times with their flock, Joe lived out before the world on Facebook what it is to deal with the coming death of one we dearly love. It is something all of us face, but like most things in life, how we face these seasons in our life reveals things about us.
With every post you could literally feel his pain and see his tears. Joe's family is spread out across our fair nation, so it took time for all of them to arrive in New Orleans where Joe and Margaret live, and you could feel the relief when they finally did. Every now and then the vulnerability we all face in these type situations would be seen, the spectre of loss, the reality of "what now?" His humble memories of his wife in a blog brought joy, and tears, and an understanding of their journey together. It was heart wrenching, and inspiring, all at the same time.
During this time, on Facebook, and I am sure in many other areas, the outpouring of prayer, love and support for Joe and his family was overwhelming. You could tell it buoyed him in this hurricane of life, and the true love shown, by many such as me who have never even met Joe, spoke volumes of the type of man he is. You see, for all of the pain, and tears, and doubt that gripped Joe throughout this past week, the one thing that shown through more than anything else was his faith in Jesus Christ. It revealed exactly why he has such a positive influence on so many he's never even met. Like any of us would, I am sure he prayed for a miraculous recovery for his beloved. But I also know with certainty his faith allowed him to never have lost sight of where Margaret would eventually be, in glory with Jesus.
Yesterday, Margaret went to be with her Lord. The storm has finally passed, and the recovery begins. In this snippet of personal tragedy we can learn a few things. One is our faith never shines more brightly before others than when engulfed by the waves of personal trial. I've read the words of Joe McKeever for years now, but in this past week, I saw the man behind the words, and the faith he has preached for many years now came alive before our eyes.
Another is the power of social media. As with any endeavor in life, social media has its good and bad sides. Here we saw the good in vibrant colors. A man's positive influence on others, the response of those across our nation to his time of trouble, the way our world is connected as it never has been before, and the good that can come from that, such as a friend I've never met.
Joe has family in Charlotte, and comes to South Carolina on occasion. One day I hope to meet my friend. But even now, knowing only his words, I can say he's my friend. If you would say a prayer for brother Joe and his family as they prepare for Margaret's funeral on Monday. And in our own lives, as that inevitable storm approaches, let us all seek to live by the faith we profess. In the connected world of today, you never know who it may impact.
