Countless times in the years I served on the pastoral staffs of churches I told members and volunteers that we will never know this side of heaven the lives that we touch when we reach out with the good news of the Gospel.
I thought of that statement numerous times today as I saw first hand evidence of the thousands of lives that were touched by the ministry of Dr. Forrest Pollock. Many of those people never had the opportunity to meet or talk with him in person, but his words - written, spoken or transmitted across the Net - touched, encouraged, strengthened, and changed their lives.
The Bell Shoals Baptist Church website has been overwhelmed the last 48 hours, intermittently crashing under the load of hundreds of thousands of visits, as people around the world came to the site, first to monitor the search for the Pastor and his son, and then, when the tragic news was shared, to express their on personal sense of loss.
This blog had roughly five times it's normal daily traffic, the majority of that increase coming from Google searches for "Forrest Pollock."
Tonight, thousands of the Bell Shoals family and others from the Tampa Bay area gathered in the church's new Worship Center tonight to remember their pastor and friend, to lift each other up, to grieve, but not as those who have no hope, and to say in a tangible way that their lives were deeply touched by the life and ministry of Forrest Pollock. Thousands more of us shared in the service via the Internet.
For us at Multicast Media, this was a loss that we felt on a personal level. Bell Shoals has been a client of ours for years. We all looked forward to Dr. Pollock's weekly "Encouraging Word" video. We were stunned when we heard he and Preston were missing, and we were heartbroken when we heard they were gone. We, like thousands of others around the world, felt this loss personally.
There are times when you can't see God's plan and purpose. This is one of those times. I can't tell you why God would choose to call Forrest and Preston Pollock home. He was a highly effective pastor who was making a profound impact on thousands, a loving father of six, and a devoted husband. His family needed him. His church needed him. The SBC needed him. The Body of Christ needed him. And now he is gone.
As Spurgeon famously observed, when we cannot trace God's hand, we must trust His heart.
Today I watched Dr. Pollock's Mother's Day sermon. It was vintage Forrest Pollock... he was funny, relevant, and right on target. Watching it, I couldn't help but be somewhat haunted by the fact that as he preached, he had less than 24 hours left on earth and that he had no way of knowing that this was the last sermon he would ever preach.
It is a stark reminder that we are not assured of tomorrow. It is also a reminder that we will never know this side of heaven how many lives we have touched or will touch by our lives, our words, and our actions.
Dr. Pollock knows those results now. I have no doubt he heard Jesus say to him, "Well done." I am also sure that he has heard "thank you" from many who are in heaven because of him... with many more to follow in the years to come.
You and I should resolve to live our lives in such a way that we, too will leave that kind of legacy.
I won't lie it feels alright to see your name in lights
We all need an atta boy or atta girl
But in the end I'd like to hang my hat on more besides
The temporary trappings of this world
I want to leave a legacy; How will they remember me?
Did I choose to love? Did I point to You enough to make a mark on things
I want to leave an offering, a child of mercy and grace
Who blessed Your name unapologetically
And leave that kind of legacy
("Legacy" by Nichole Nordeman, 2002 Ariose Music Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing)
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