by Janicegail Slone

Created on: March 21, 2007   Last Updated: May 11, 2007

I've heard the saying many times, "I'd rather see a sermon, than hear one any day. Another is, "the best way to teach is by example, and yes many times I've had said to me, or I have said to another, "You may be the only bible some people will ever read.
When I hear that phrase, I think of my father,"Heskle Back" who lived his life by example. My daddy was an ole time Baptist preacher,who knew his walk had better match his talk, he knew the easy part was to preach the sermon, the hard part was to live it, and that is what he did daily, knowing that many of his neighbors and friends would never attend the church where he so wonderfully preached the bible, God's word, so he allowed his life, by example,to be the Bible they would read daily.

The church I now attend was hosting a singing, the group that sang this particular night was from the community I am from, it was nice to see my next door neighbor, and to hear him sing, he talked about how nice to see me again and how he grew up next door to me and my family, my father, what a fine man he was, tears trickled down my face, as he said, "Had it not been for Heskle Back, my family would have starved to death. They lived so hard, as my parents would call it, and it seemed no matter how little we had, we always had enough to share with our neighbors in need.

Daddy did not live his life condemning those who did not live a Christian life, he simply loved them to Jesus, again knowing his life might be the only Bible they would read. When lunch time came, whether he was on a trail ride, with his horse cronies, or on a creek bank with his fishing friends, he'd simply take off his cap, bow his head and thank the good Lord for his meal. After the fact of one of these such outings, a teenager spoke of my father saying the blessing, right on the creek bank. He seemed very touched by this, that someone would thank the Lord for food, that had been cooked over a camp fire and being on a camping trip, "now that's a real Christian", he said.
I learned from my parents, yes it's good to tell others about the Lord and his goodness, but I also learned, many times people will watch better than they listen. Especially if they know you are a Christian, they're watching you like a hawk, as my mother would say,and many times actions speak louder than words, so by our examples daily, how we treat the check out clerk at the grocery store, how we treat that waitress who can't help your food being cold, or no good, what kind of bible do they see in us, Is is full of Thou Shalt Not's, or do they read "Love thy Neighbor as Thyself." Yes I may be the only Bible some people will ever read.

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