The Open Door

A spiritual giant has gone home. Under the theme: “A man was sent from God…” family and friends numbering close to 800 gathered at the First Baptist Church of Cartersville to remember the life and ministry of Dr. Stan Wilkins.

If given the opportunity, I am sure that everyone present could have stood and spoken of their fond remembrances of Stan. My mind flashed back to so many times that Stan and I shared as I sat quietly waiting for the beginning of the service and watched pictures flashing on and off the giant screens in front of me. They were pictures of Stan from his childhood up to the current time. They were great pictures including precious photographs of the family and in particular Tamara and Michael’s recent wedding and photos of Stan and Gail enjoying one another’s company on vacation trips and at home.

A picture of Stan sitting on his Harley flashed on the screen and Steve Cole, a young pastor who was seated next to me said, “Stan talked all the time about wanting a Harley. Finally I said to him, ‘Why don’t you just go ahead and buy one,’ and he did.”

Steve went on to tell me how Stan spent time with him every month mentoring him in ministry. He said, “This was time with just the two of us. He made great investments in my life and ministry.” Steve and his wife, Kris, shared with me their many heartwarming thoughts about Stan Wilkins.

The fact is that Stan invested in many young ministers’ lives. There were numerous ministers present at the service of celebration whose lives had been impacted by the teaching of Stan at the New Orleans Seminary North Georgia Campus and at Shorter College. He also served as Associational Missionary for the Bartow Baptist Association. He brought freshness and energy to every place he served.

His most recent service included ministering as interim pastor at First Cartersville. The choir and the ensemble sang at the worship service. A video of Stan preaching at the church was a very special highlight of the service. I heard so many around me saying, “That’s Stan.”

His message was filled with candor and humor. His preaching was straight-forward and full of God-inspired creativity and the giftedness of an unusually bright personality and mind. Stan Wilkins was one-of-a-kind. We need more like him – pastors who preach the truth in love, who never hesitate to give it out just as God inspires it in their heart. That was Stan.

It all happened so fast. He fell from a ladder while cleaning gutters at his home and one week later we were celebrating his inspiring life. This side of heaven, his home going seems so untimely. We were not prepared for it.

We didn’t want to be remembering the life of this 53-year-old soldier of Christ so early, but there we were and as much as we might have wanted to, we could not undo the events of the preceding week. Besides, that’s just it; we are this side of heaven. We cannot know the ways of the Lord or what His plans for us in heaven might include. Our dear brother is in a better place, a glorious place beyond our imagination. Beyond that, we must simply trust the Lord and in times of loss lean upon Him for the comfort that only He can give.

I wept at the loss of my friend. I suppose we all did. My tears were the result of sadness in knowing that I won’t see that great smile for a while. Janice and I wept together as she remembered how warmly Stan greeted her and our daughter, Karen, at the Shorter College booth during the Convention. She said, “Stan made us feel so special.” He did that for everybody. That was Stan!

Stan’s service of celebration was one of the largest funeral services I have ever witnessed. What is it that draws people to remember a person’s life in such great numbers? I am convinced that it is the qualities of Christ visible in the life of His servant that draws people to celebrate a life lived for the Savior. Stan invested his life in the lives of others and did it with such grace and joy that people just wanted to say “Thank you, Stan.”

Stan Wilkins blessed my life. As I remember the life of my friend, I have a renewed desire to be a blessing to others.