I met Bill when we moved to Winter Springs, Florida and joined First Baptist of Oviedo in the mid-80s. I knew Bill from a distance. You see, Bill made me nervous. Bill was born with Cerebral Palsy. As a result, Bill didn't have much use of his legs. He moved around using crutches. He was different and so, I avoided him. All this changed when another guy I knew at church invited me to be part of a morning men's group. I was unsure about getting involved in this, especially when he said we would meet at 5:30 AM! I was pretty much a "no go" when I heard that, but he asked me to give it four weeks--just four weeks. So, I agreed. Little did I know this group of men would come to mean so much to me and that we would meet together for almost five years.
I got directions to the house where we would meet each week and on the Friday of our first meeting I arrived pulling into the driveway of a nicely maintained single-wide mobile home located in a retirement community. I wasn't sure if I was in the right place. It turned out to be Bill's house. He lived there with his aging parents. In this first meeting, I found Bill was a nice enough guy and I was totally amazed by his positive attitude toward life even though from my perspective, his circumstances were a real bummer.
Over the weeks, I grew to know Bill and the other guys in the group. We talked about Jesus and about what it meant to be a follower of His. I came to love these early Friday morning meetings and even more so, the men I met with. Bill and I began to go out visiting church guests together--and I enjoyed his company. He prayed for me each time we were together and I was always touched and moved by his prayers. Eventually I began to pray for him, too. We would spend an hour in prayer together. Soon, Bill was invited to my home for dinner with my wife and daughters. Before long, Bill became a fixture. I would pick him up for meals at our house and he would go places with me and my family. He became part of our family.
Bill's crutches are awkward at times. Once when were out and about together, I had walked on a little ahead of Bill when I heard him call my name. His voice sounded a little shaky as I turned to him. His left crutch was slipping as he tried to cross a shallow curb. As I raced to him, I watched as if in slow motion his crutch slid away from him and he landed on the ground. I hurried to him to find him to be physically okay and we laughed together as I helped him back to his feet and onto his crutches. People watching felt sad, I know, but Bill and I saw the comedy in the moment and we enjoyed the laugh. This is Bill--making the most of whatever the situation is. Though he is physically crippled, God has redeemed what the fall of man allowed.
Bill has used his disability for the Kingdom. Through it he has met and ministered to many people. He has shared the gospel with untold numbers of people and he has lifted more prayers for people than anyone I know. He has battled evil in the spiritual world through prayer and his victories are countless. God has used him to ward off evil many times over. Bill may be crippled in a physical sense, but he is healthy where most are crippled. He is a man of God, a follower of Christ -- he is led by the Spirit of the One true God.
Bill is a deeply spiritual man. He is a man who prays for others. He is spiritually wise and yet there is an innocence about Bill. He always sees the best in people and he trusts anyone until they break that trust. He is an instant friend to all people. He loves. He really loves.
Bill is truly a "father in the faith" to me. He taught me much about God's love. He helped me understand the Bible as we studied together. He taught me though the prayers he prayed. Mostly, he taught me by his example.
Thanks Bill! I love you my Brother Bill.
