Pastor Mark Hopper

By Pastor Mark Hopper

We got a phone call today that a dear friend had died.  It was not unexpected; Margaret was over 90 years old.  But this wonderful woman and her husband made a lasting impact on our family.

We met Ray and Margaret while I was the pastor of a small church in Tucson, Arizona, in the 1980’s. They were “snow birds” who came to Tucson each year to get away from the long, cold winters in Minnesota.  They were hard working farmers with grown children and several grandchildren.  They were able to soak up some sunshine in Arizona during the winter months.  Later, they bought a home in Tucson and became full-time residents.

Ray and Margaret quietly helped others.  They had servant hearts.  When my wife and I needed to get away for a few days, they would stay with our kids in our house.  Not only did they feed and care for our kids, but they would clean our house too!

Our children still remember the “clean plate club” when Ray and Margaret came to stay with them.  If our kids ate all the food on their plates, they were rewarded by Ray and Margaret with a visit to Dairy Queen and a Peanut Buster Sundae!

When our young family was growing and we needed a room addition, Ray and Margaret loaned us the money to finish the job.  Although we did repay that loan over several years, they insisted on providing the floor covering so that our young kids would not be walking or crawling on a cement floor!

One summer we drove across the country and visited their farm in northern Minnesota.  We were thrilled to see their family farm, their home and their garden.  It sure looked different than the Arizona desert where our family lived.

Ray and Margaret had a firm, unshakable faith in Jesus Christ.  In his later years, Ray used to say goodbye like this, “If I don’t see you again, I’ll see you in heaven”.

They were generous and faithful members of our church.  I will never forget the time when our church was beginning a new building project.  We were committed to pay cash for each phase of construction.  At one point, the lumber was scheduled to be delivered on a Monday but we didn’t have all the funds to pay at delivery.  The church leaders met after the Sunday evening service to pray and discuss what we should do.

During that meeting, there was a knock at the door.  A man handed a check to our chairman to cover the remaining amount that was due the next day.  That check came from Ray and Margaret!  I have never forgotten that moment.  It was a wonderful reminder of how God provides through faithful people like this remarkable couple.

I wonder if there have been some people like Ray and Margaret who have impacted your family and your life.    They were like an extra set of grandparents to our kids.

When was the last time you expressed your thanks to someone who impacted your life as a child, teen, young adult or young couple?  Don’t wait until it is too late.  Write a note, send a card or make a call this week and tell them again how much you appreciate how God used them to enrich your life.

Pastor Mark Hopper is from the Evangelical Free Church of Diamond Bar, 3255 South Diamond Bar Blvd.  Sunday services are 9 a.m. and 10:45 a.m.  For more information, call (909) 594-7604 or visithttp://www.efreedb.org