From the Pen of Paul: Clay Farris
The psalmist informed us, “The days of our years are threescore and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away” (Psalm 90:10). Someone must have forgotten to inform brother Clay of this, because last Friday evening, well over 100 relatives and friends gathered at the Northeast building to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the birth of our friend, and brother in Christ, Clay Farris. And with the exception of a knee that has been giving him a little trouble, Clay is still in great physical condition and is present at every service of the church.
But let's back up, and start at the beginning. It all began on another Friday, February 17, back in 1922. This was only about seven years before the Great Depression set in. I asked Clay if he remembered the Depression; he replied, “I guess I do; my dad handed me a goose-neck hoe when I was six years old and put me in the garden to help in making food to feed the family.” Clay still has that goose-neck hoe as a memento of those early, difficult years. The Farris family have long been known in this area for their farming. Clay's dad was a farmer, and other than Clay's years in the military, Clay has spent most of his his life in farming and raising cattle. He has been very successful in that chosen profession.
Clay met the love of his life, Lena Wright, when she was seven years old and he was ten. They walked to school and to church together, and eventually started going to the movies together on Saturdays. Lena often said that her favorite song was “You Are My Sunshine” because Clay sang it to her during their courtship years; and ten years later, they were married on September 13, 1942. Clay and Lena set a tremendous example for all of us to follow; they honored their vows and were happily married for over 66 years. Their home was always open to everyone. They often invited visiting preachers to stay in their home, and no one was ever turned away at mealtime.
Only three months after Clay and Lena were married, Clay was drafted into the Army in December, 1942 and served his country faithfully and well in the South Pacific during World War II. He was in the anti-aircraft battalion in the Philippines and the Pacific Theatre. His duties included supervising 15 soldiers serving in such places as New Guinea, Leyte Islands, and Luzon in the Philippines, as well as Australia and other locations. Clay told me that he was involved in seven D-Day Invasions in the South Pacific and that they were often under bomb attacks for long periods of time. Clay is proud of his years defending our freedoms, and he is happy to talk to you about those days, telling you stories that he fondly remembers and showing many of the photos that he still cherishes from those days. Clay is one of the few men that are left from this area that served in the second World War. Thanks, Clay, for your dedicated service to our great nation. We all owe a great debt to men like Clay who fought in defense of this country and the many freedoms that we often take for granted.
One thing that demonstrates the type of character that Clay had as a young man is what a fellow-soldier told him as they were being discharged following their service; he told Clay that he only wished that he could be going back home with as clean a life as Clay had. Clay added, “That was before I became a Christian.” He told me this when I asked him how he would like to be remembered. He also said, “I always tried to live right.”
Clay was not a Christian when he and Lena married. Clay told me that one of his relatives use to argue with Lena, while he was away in the Army, telling her, “You will never make a ‘Campbellite’ out of Clay.” And of course, she did not; but she she did lead him to Christ and Clay became a New Testament Christian; he was baptized by John Renshaw while Clay and Lena were attending O'Connor Church of Christ in White County. Clay has told me several times how brother Renshaw used to call me “apostle Paul” when I was just a lad visiting in their home. Clay and Lena were faithful Christians attending Antioch Church of Christ in Putnam county and later were long-time members of the Northeast Church of Christ where Clay still attends today. Lena passed away in 2009. Clay served a number of years as one of our deacons. Presently, he has both a son and a grandson that serve as deacons at Northeast, a testament to the leadership and training of Clay and Lena.
Father, husband, soldier, farmer, neighbor, and Christian are all words that describe this great man. But as demonstrated by the outpouring of love shown last Friday night, the term “friend” must be also the way many know Clay.
Clay, from all of us here at Northeast, we say “Happy 90th Birthday!” Thank you for your friendship over the years, for your faithful service to the Lord, for your faithful example to all of us; and may God bless you with many more good, healthy years to come. It is our prayer that God will grant you to be reunited with your beloved Lena following this life, and that we all may get to enjoy eternity together!
—Paul Wilmoth
From the Preacher’s Viewpoint. . .
“I have people that have done me wrong. I would like to get even with them. What suggestions would you make?”
I suppose it is human nature for all of us to want to get even with those who have done us an injustice. I know following the flesh we would engage in revenge. But the Christian viewpoint is always that of Christ and His word. We must always say as God's children, "what would my Heavenly Father have me to do?"
We should believe with all our being in God's way for us in all things. Notice, I said in all things! So many of us are quick to do His will when it suits us but if it goes contrary to our ways and wishes, we often cast the Bible aside and do as we please. This is not Christianity! Christianity when followed controls us down to the very last fiber of our being.
How many times have I heard people say, "You must be honest to be a Christian." Then I have known of that same person hating someone. My Bible teaches me that to hate is a sin. It is just as bad to hate as it is to steal according to the Bible. I have heard others say that it would be wrong to burn up another person's home and then turn right around and try to destroy the good reputation of another. My Bible says that it is just as wrong to try and destroy the reputation of another as it is to burn down his home. In fact as I see it, it could be worse. We may rebuild an earthly home but sometimes the damage done to a good man's reputation can never be rebuilt in a lifetime. To try and destroy a Christian's reputation is a serious thing. When we destroy his good reputation we destroy or impair his influence. For this we will truly give an account to God!
But what about taking vengeance? God tells his children to stay out of vengeance taking. He says "Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord" (Rom. 12:19). All Christians need to leave things up to God along this line. God can far better take care of vengeance than we can. He does not need any help nor guidance in the matter. God knows how to time things. He knows what hurts most and how to administer what hurts.
I have often said that when God gets through with a person who has done wrong and needs correction, that person will know he has been corrected. David did wrong in the Old Testament when he took another man's wife and had the man killed. God told King David that the sword would never leave his house and it never did. David's own son hunted him like hunters would hunt the game. His own son tried to take the throne from him by force. His children were unprincipled and unruly and caused him heartache and heartbreak.
The story of Naboth is another good example that God will take vengeance in due time. King Ahab wanted Naboth's vineyard and Naboth did not want to sell it. Jezebel devised a plan to have Naboth, an innocent man, stoned to death. She had some men to lie in court about Naboth. They falsely said Naboth had blasphemed God and the King. They took this innocent man out and killed him. But God was watching and this they did not realize. God saw to it that Ahab died in battle and the dogs licked his blood out of his royal chariot. About 20 years later Jezebel was thrown down from a second story and her body was burst asunder. The dogs ate most of her body and licked her blood from the street.
Leave the vengeance taking to God. He will take care of matters in a just sort of way. It will be done in the right way and at the right time. I am willing to rest my case with Him in all matters. We will be winners when we work with God.
—Malcolm L. Hill