"Love ya!"

My friend, Johnny Hall, departed to be with Christ last Tuesday afternoon. He had been in a South Bend, Indiana, hospital for a little over a week. Cynthia and I enjoyed a wonderful time of fellowship visiting with him and his wife, Mary Jo, last week. It was obvious that Johnny would soon be moving to heaven. After 58 years in a wheel chair, today Johnny is walking the streets of glory!

As a 19-year-old soldier, Johnny’s earthly sojourn was forever changed when he was cut in half by machine gun fire during the Korean War. His life was saved, but he lost the use of his body from the waist down. He spent the remainder of his life in a wheel chair—a real American hero worthy of our greatest honor and respect. I was privileged to conduct his memorial service today. The chapel was filled with family and friends touched by his generosity and life. He was then buried with full military honors at the National Military Cemetery at Fort Custer, Michigan, where his earthly house awaits the trumpet sound.

Johnny was much more, however, than a soldier: he was a saint of the Most High God and an ardent student of His Word. I first met Johnny in the mid 1960s while I was a senior in high school. At the time he and Mary Jo lived in Mobile and my interest in Bible study and preaching the gospel to the lost made it natural that we would became fast friend. When I was struggling to understand the Bible version issue, he was a source of both information and encouragement. I was often in his home, studying the Word and discussing doctrine. We had wonderful times that have become some of my happy memories.

As a young soldier, Johnny paid a tremendous price for his country. Yet he never ever complained about his lot in life. He endured unceasing pain for all the years I knew him. During one of our times together he was in especially sever agony. Through the obvious suffering, he said to me, “Ricky, all my legs ever do for me is hurt”—but he immediately added, “Oh, but isn’t God so good!”

Johnny never allowed the bitterness of self-pity to poison his spirit; rather he filled his heart with the love and grace of God found in Jesus Christ. His example (and instruction) taught me as a teenager a lesson about I Thess. 5:18 that has never left me: It is “in” everything, not “for” everything, that we are called upon to "give thanks." Even in his most difficult circumstances, Johnny could always “rejoiced in the Lord” and all He has done for us.

The Halls returned to Indiana in the early 1970s and when my family moved to Chicago in 1979 we were able to see them again. You never left Johnny’s presence or ended a conversation without him saying, “Love ya!” For Johnny it was far more than just words. You knew he meant exactly what he was saying.

The Berean Bible Church of South Bend meets in the Hall’s home each week. These saints have an active ministry and enjoyed Johnny’s leadership and influence. Many reading these lines have attended our Summer Family Conference and enjoyed Johnny’s harmonica playing. Frankly, it was hard not to be influenced by this brother!

While his “seat will be empty,” we can only rejoice that he is with the Saviour he loved and served so long. Pray for Mary Jo. She has been a faithful helpmeet and now must adjust to a new life. She said to me this afternoon, “I just don’t know how anyone could go through all this if they didn’t have the Lord.” God’s grace has been on display in Johnny and Mary Jo for all to see. Thank you, Lord! And as Johnny would say, “Love ya!”

Maranatha!