We were on the road early yesterday. We had to drive to Pine Island, Texas. That’s a small town out in the middle of nowhere, somewhere near Waller. We were attending a memorial service (our second in just 2 days). This one was for our friend and former member of the youth group at Langwood Baptist Church many years ago when I was the youth pastor there.
H.C. Elsner was probably in junior high or early high school when I first met him. Of course, I was just 18 or 19 myself and I had been a Christian for only a year or two, so that youth group and I kind of grew up together.
It’s kind of strange what you remember about people. The first memory that pops into my head about H.C. (Other than that his girlfriend at the time was the music pastor’s daughter) involves the time he was in the front passenger seat of my car.
We were driving to get some lunch at his house when a car turned left in front of us and crunched into the front of my yellow Ford Maverick. Everybody was pretty much OK. H.C. banged his knee on the dashboard, but nothing demanded medical attention. I remember we waited literally hours for the police to arrive.
Finally the father of one of the girls in the youth group drove by on his way home from work. He just happened to be a police officer assigned to the mayor’s protective detail. Imagine the dispatcher’s chagrin when his call sign demanded an officer to his location immediately. Let’s just say … they came.
H.C. went through some really rough times in his life. He definitely knew Jesus, though. I’m sure his soul is at peace now.
It was good to see some of the Langwood folks from years ago, but we have to find a better way to get together, guys.
Ephesians 6:11 says, Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the schemes of the devil.
Father, be with Carl and Barbara and David as they walk through this difficult time. Amen.
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