He Delivered Good Works

…my only aim is to finish the race and

complete the work the Lord Jesus has given me…

(Acts 20:24)

Every now and again, you get a call that takes you back to a simpler place and time. Yesterday, I was informed that another pillar from my childhood community was called home to glory. That news triggered thoughts of people who influenced our lives, simply by their presence.

If you ask anyone who lived on the north end of Stuttgart in the 70s or 80s about their postman, the answer is one of two names: If you lived on the east side of town, Mr. Thompkins was your mailman. If you lived on the west side, Mr. Spears delivered your mail.

My personal interaction with Mr. Spears began in fourth grade when we moved on to North Spring Street. Looking back, we lived on a section of the street with three local educators: Mrs. Austin, Mrs. Walker, and Mrs. Spears. (Thinking back, how ironic was it that the Thompkins family shared the same vocations: the wife was a teacher and the husband was a mail carrier. I guess those were the good jobs for power couples in our neighborhoods during those days)! I digress…

Back to Mr. Spears: I knew him as the mailman and our neighbor. He never said a lot to me, but his presence spoke volumes and commanded respect. I remember when our road was paved (yes, I am dating myself) and as kids, we moved our kickball or our dodge ball games from the back yards to the street because of the smoother surface, we were always careful never to allow the ball to fall into Mr. Spears yard. His grass was always cut to perfection, and no one wanted to do anything to cause his yard to look otherwise.

Life happened and we moved away from Spring Street, so I had not seen Mr. or Mrs. Spears in years. I am an avid reader of the Stuttgart Daily Leader, so last year, I was delighted to read that he was still active as a volunteer in the community (http://www.stuttgartdailyleader.com/article/20140919/News/140919531). All of those years of walking his route to deliver the mail had long term benefits. The community was still prospering on the good works of men like Mr. Spears.

Yes, Mr. Spears delivered the mail. For young people like me, his presence in the Stuttgart community and his work meant so much more. Rest on, Mr. Willie Spears—your work is done.

If you like this post and want to catch up on some of my previous discussions, please visit the full Purposed Work blog at http://ltr-latrobe-mfg.blogspot.com/.