JUST HOW SICK WAS I ?

This may be too personal for some. In fact, it may be totally T.M.I. But I'm saying it anyway.

Just how sick was I? Good question. There is no doubt I was sick. But let me start from the beginning.

I was invited by Al Tinnin, who is the Interim-pastor at Missionary Ridge Baptist Church in Morganton North Carolina, to do my typical four day conference/revival meeting starting this past Sunday. It was my first time there so I started on Sunday morning with my series "Going On In The Race" and the "Tabernacle" series at noon Monday-Wenesday.

Al and Mishia, his wife, were members when I pastored Southcliff Baptist Church in Fort Worth during their seminary days. He now runs a Christian youth camp close to Morganton that serves a couple thousand kids every summer and serves at various churches on an Interim basis at times. [He is a GREAT pastor and is desired by every church he serves but winds up getting them fully ready for God's man, Missionary Ridge being no exception.

Missionary Ridge is a traditional leaning, strong rural church running between 200 and 250 on any given Sunday. The people are open, fun-loving, friendly and a delight to be around. And, I have to say, the attendance for the meeting was phenomenal from the get-go.

Sunday morning was a great service. Sunday night more of the same. Monday-Tuesday even better. The noon sessions I was as free in teaching the Tabernacle as anytime I can remember.

Then came Wenesday. About 10:00 am, just before Al picked me up at 11:30 am for the noon meeting, it happened. I won't describe it except to say I "tossed my cookies." Not mild manneredly you understand, but with typical Burleson gusto. Three times in an hour and a half.

Al came. He mercifully stopped to get me some pink Keopectate. I drank a swig. I was half through the noon teaching. I stopped. I ran to the side door. You can use you imagination and triple it. It was pink.

Al took me to the motel. He got me some other medicine, crackers and water. I asked to be left alone. He promised to call. I went to sleep. I had forgotten to turn my phone on after the noon service. I woke up at 6:00 pm. He's called three times.

Al and I had talked about what if I didn't get better. So he assumed [correctly] I wasn't better and so the closing night, with the biggest crowd he said that had been there in ANY service since he'd been Interim, he did something I had suggested to him. He told the people they'd heard from the Lord [His Word] all week now and it was time to say what He's said and done in their lives. So after the 30 minutes song service, the testimony time started. He suggested three ground rules that I had recommended to him...

One..Three minutes only. [Unless Providence shows otherwise.] So many can speak if they desire.

Two..No bragging on preacher, singer, or Interm-pastor, Only bragging on Jesus is permitted.

Three..No mention of anyone else by name without their permission. Some may have had relationships healed but it was only personal except by permission.

Well...and hour and a half later the service ended and the revival spirit will continue. Al told me he said to the people, and I quote.."Bro. Paul is a good preacher but you folks are better at it than he is." No one disagreed. I slept on.

The next morning I boarded the plane, weak as a kitten. I slept. Woke up in Dallas. Changed planes. I slept. Got home and Mary had fixed chicken soup and had the house like heaven. She and I settled in to watch Sam Bradford become the number one pick of the NFL draft. I decided I needed to go to bed. [Still weak you see.]

Having gone to bed early my purpose was to watch the "Thunder" take on the Lakers in game three of the NBA play-off series while resting. The Thunder is Oklahoma City's new pro-basketball team and I'm a real fan having been to a game live. We needed to "thunder-up" and win to get back in the series down 2-0. At the end of the first half we were behind. I think. I went to sleep you see. I missed the entire second half where we rallied and won the game. I read about it in the paper a bit ago.

Just how sick was I? Sick enough that writing about it doesn't do it justice. But I'm better today. I think. I am just going to have to go to bed and sleep on it to know for sure.

I know. T.M.I.

Paul B.