"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith." 2 Timothy 4:6
Tonight I have the wonderful privilege and honor to play the piano for the memorial service of an amazing spiritual giant that went home to be with the Lord last week at 99 -- she almost made 100!
Just so we are clear, the lady that I am about to tell you about is sitting in the chair -- NOT standing. The lady in the chair is Peg Tomlin.
Most of you don't have a clue who she is. She won't be recorded in the world's version of Whose WHO. But her name has been written down in the Lamb's Book of Life and she was one of God's choice servants.
Peg and Kale were our Youth Leaders when I was 13. Doing the math today was a little scary as we thought they were "old" then --but the reality that Peg was 57 and Kale was in his sixties. (Yikes they were really YOUNG! :) But they had already been our parent's youth directors when they were teens! They served in ministry well into their 70's, and accomplished much for the Kingdom.
Those were the days -- when Peg and Kale piled kids into their car to take them skiing, skating, fishing, camping. Took a boat load of kids in their car when there were no vans. I can't tell you how many people they crammed in their cars- but they would have been fined today!
Peg and Kale never had any biological children. But they literally have thousands of spiritual kids, grand and great-great and beyond whose lives were impacted by their lives. They served without pay in their youth ministry at Fellowship Church in Philadelphia, PA. They were the overseers of the Old York Road Branch of Christian Endeavor for what seemed like forever. Under their leadership of OYRCE, they introduced kids to some of America's Great Preachers: Dr. John Cawood, Dr. John Guest, Dr. Jimmy DeYoung, Dr. Dale Linebaugh, Dr. Ross Rhoads -- and the whose who of great preachers goes on and on.
Peg worked tirelessly planning youth programs, publishing a weekly newspaper called Teen Times, writing notes of encouragement to her "kids." She was an amazing prayer warrior, and even up until several weeks ago, would ask about all your kids even though her physical tent was wearing out quickly.
Only eternity will reveal the impact of her life. It will be a grand surprise for her to see how many lives she impacted for Jesus Christ. I guess her one regret is that she didn't get to 100. Her husband, Kale, almost made 100. If you knew them, they were competitive! So I can hear Peg saying to Kale, "I almost beat you!" Thanks, Peg, for your faithfulness. You have fought a good fight! You have finished the course! You have kept the faith! And you have seen Jesus! Hallelujah! -- Bill Welte is President and CEO of America's KESWICK
God's Word for You: Proverbs 20; Isaiah 59-61; 2 Thessalonians 2
Great Quote: "Ignorance of our own faults is the only cause that renders us unwilling to forgive our brethren." -- John Calvin "Being one of God's saints does not put us above loving the unlovable; rather it must compel us to fulfill the debt of love we owe to others." -- R.C. Sproul
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