Not Just My Pastor, My "Pop"

I have so many stories that I want to tell, and the memory of them don’t always come in order of their occurrences. The Thursday of the memorial service opened a flood gate of memories, and here is another sweet memory from my personal time with Pop. It was about a month since I was welcomed to the Feast of Lord, going on at the Main Street Church. Elder ask me if I could come by his office early that following Tuesday (Just before Bible Study) so we could talk. I told him that I’d get out of school early and would be there. He said to be there at 2:45. So, I did.I had on a green suit, a button down shirt, and some sandals. He welcomed me into his office and greeted me with his hug and holy kiss. He was having lunch, and told me to sit down and he started talking to me.Son, do you notice any difference in your brothers and yourself? I told him, yes sir, I don’t dress like them. I was embarrassed, and my voice was shaking. He stopped eating and came over to me, and said he loved me. But, son a preacher ought to be dressed Holy, not worldly. “Do you have a tie, or dress shoes son?” I told him no, that my mom and dad couldn’t afford to buy me anything like that. Pop had tears in his eyes. And, that night my Brothers, now Elder Henry Watson, and Elder Kevin Smith came in with 3 suits, some ties, and a host of shirts. After Bible Study Elder Spotts went home and came back with a black pair of Stacy Adams lace up boots.I started dressing, with a suit and tie that day, even though they were hand-me-down I thought they were priceless because of who gave them to me.Moving ahead in time, to a little more than one week before I was to be licensed to the Gospel Ministry, Pop told me that I needed to be at his office by 2:00 that Friday, he needed me to go somewhere with him. I ask him where we were going, he said, “Son, just be here.” So I was there at the time I was told to be.We went to the Lexington Mall, and I followed him into Dawhares. I thought he was going to get a new tie or something. But, he said son get up here on this box. He picked out a suit and asked Bill, the man working there if he could have it all ready before my initial sermon. I told him that I loved him, and we laughed, cried and hugged right there in Dawhares.The Sunday afternoon of my Initial Sermon Pop said, “Son, here’s your suit, and Sister Flo has a little gift that she wants to bless you with.” She bought me the most wonderful tie set, it was very colorful and in good taste (that goes with out saying) Pop said, “Go home and eat, get some rest, and have some prayer time to yourself.”Pop bought me the first new suit I ever owned, I still have that suit and the tie set that Sis. Flo got me. They’ve been preserved and put up. One day I pray to be able to tell My Sons this and other stories about the Greatest Pastor of this time.