Sad news

When I arrived at the office this morning I learned the sad news that Lee Porter died last week on May 17 at the age of 83.

Lee was a legend in Southern Baptist life. He served as SBC registration secretary for 25 years, from 1977-2002. He was known for giving meticulous instructions to messengers making sure they knew which ballot to use. I can still hear him say, “Ballot number two and only ballot number two” in that deep, distinctive voice.

Lee made sure the election process at the SBC annual meetings was run with integrity and fairness. There were many contested elections for the SBC presidency during his tenure. Because Lee was in charge of the balloting process I never doubted the results.

I had the privilege of knowing Lee on a personal basis. His wife, Pat, was a long-time employee of the Tennessee Baptist Convention, and served as TBC registration secretary, making them a unique couple in denominational life. Lee also officiated basketball and umpired baseball. I had the opportunity to work games that he assigned for local sports leagues.

Lee loved the Lord with all his heart and he loved the denomination he served so faithfully for decades.

Pray for Pat, his two sons and six grandchildren. Lee will be missed by his family and friends, but we all know without a doubt Lee is in heaven today with Jesus Christ.

I am blessed by having known Lee Porter and was honored to count him as a friend.

The necessities of life

We all know that food, water, clothing and a place to live basically comprise the necessities of life.

We all have to eat and drink. We all need clothes to wear and a place to provide us shelter from the elements of nature.

Selfishly, I have added something else to that list of necessities — air conditioning.

The necessity of air conditioning has become all too apparent in the last week or so as temperatures have been unseasonably hot. The weather forecast today is calling for temperatures near 90 degrees later this week. That’s hot anytime. It’s especially hot for the first part of May.

Anyway, the air conditioning in my truck has gone out. Nothing like riding down the road with the windows up and 90 degree air blowing in your face. At first I was going to “rough” it. Surely I could get by without air conditioning for an hour or so a day while I was driving. Just roll down the window.

That worked for a while but the hotter it is getting, the more I want my good cold air conditioner to work. So, I broke down and have taken it in for repair. Call me a wimp if you like, but at least I won’t be a hot wimp.

In the grand scheme of life I know air conditioning is not really a necessity, but it is nice to have.

I am blessed to have a God who takes care of my necessities and who reminds me not to worry about them.

And, if you ever get confused about the necessities of life, read Matthew 6:25-34. Those verses are a good reminder for all of us.