My granddaddy was a preacher and pastor for 60 years. He was quiet except when he was ministering or riled up about one of his hot topics. He was short in stature but big in heart and passionate for the Kingdom. He wanted everyone to come to know Christ and didn’t play around when it came to being saved and reverencing the Lord. One of his favorite sayings was, “99 1/2 won’t do”. In other words, you had to be totally sold out and committed to the Lord.

A couple of things I learned from him are work hard and be totally committed. It doesn’t pay to half do things or do things without passion. He was dedicated to his family, ministry and his job. He loved people and you could count on him being there in whatever situation you found yourself. He was known as a giver and would often visit the sick and leave money with them.  He valued his relationship with the Lord and believed in the power of prayer.

I think about men today and how many of them have missed some of these character traits–hard work, diligence, going the extra mile, taking care of family, loving others, praying and walking in purpose.  Our world would be a better place if we practiced many of these values and renewed our commitment to being truly sold out to Christ in everything we do.  Today, I renew my commitment to live a committed life–one of dedication, destiny and determination.

What character traits and values did you learn from your grandfather?

~Coletta Jones Patterson