Today, we laid to rest one of the all time greats! He was a pastor to many, a friend to more but a dad to a very lucky few. It has been amazing to hear the stories of how he affected so many lives over the years. Hearing these stories makes me realize how special it was to grow up in his home and have him as my dad, my boss, my mentor, and my friend. I think about the days we spent on the road, driving hundreds of thousands of miles in a worn out Ford van. We traded seats as pilot and co-pilot. Those trades were often made at 70 miles an hour, or maybe faster, depending on how late mom was leaving for the current trip. He never fussed at her, he just said, “we’re gonna have to get after it if we’re gonna make it.” So we’d drive like maniacs and “slide in two wheels” to throw up a sound system and have church. As crazy as it was, he’d walk into a service shaking hands with people and beginning his invitation before he ever reached the platform. He had an unbelievable gift for sensing God’s Spirit and allowing God to have His way in church services. I can’t count the number of services where God would show up and dad would just get out of the way. He always said, theres a place in every service where God wants in, its our job to find it and get out of the way. There were times that he simply sat down, let God speak, and the alters would fill with people responding to God’s voice during those quiet moments. He prayed his way into the services and prayed that God would somehow use what little he had to offer to speak to the people who would gather in the service. Night after night and week after week, God was faithful to show up and change lives! Gene Wells was a great preacher, a wonderful pastor, and a beloved friend. To me he was dad and hero. I’m going to miss him like crazy, however, I wouldn’t trade my 42 years of life experiences with him, for a million with anyone else. He loved his family more than words will ever be adequate to explain, and that feeling was mutual. We have lost one of the greatest men that has ever lived. Our world will never be the same, but we will cherish the memories that we have and live life in a manner that assures us that we will “see him later!”
Posted on: Tue, 09 Sep 2014 19:25:15 +0000
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