A Reader Remembers (#438)
This
week - March 17, to be exact - marks the second anniversary of the
passing of Roger Bennett. Suffice it to say, Roger left behind many
friends and fans, and what some people may not realize, Roger was
dearly loved by many of Southern Gospel's youngest supporters. In fact,
in the two years following Roger's homegoing, we have received just as
many - if not more - comments about Roger from fans 18 and under.
For example, here's this letter from young Elissa Estes of Girard, Pennsylvania.
I
would like to share with the readers of Singing News how much Mr. Bennett meant to me through a poem I wrote about him.I
greatly admired Mr. Bennett. He inspired me to learn to play the piano
and he was my role model and hero of the faith. My family has been
through some difficult times and the Lord used Mr. Bennett's songs and
testimony to encourage us. One of my favorite songs he wrote is "Don't
Be Afraid."It was a very special moment for me when I got to meet Mr. Bennett at a concert in May 2006. I gave him the following poem:I See Jesus In You
I see Jesus in you
This my earnest prayer shall be
When I am tested through and through
That Jesus will also be seen in me.
In you I see love
For the Lord and your family
And on your face, a peace
That only comes from above.
I pray my love for my Saviour
And for my family will continue to grow
As through fire and testing I go
That Heavenly peace I too would know.
A message on trials from a minister
Cannot begin to compare
To the example I see in you
For I know you have been there.
I see Jesus in you
You are my hero and role model
I want Jesus seen in me
And your Christian example I want to follow.
Thank you, Mr. Bennett, for being such an encouragement. You are greatly missed.Elissa ---------------------------------
Roger
would have been 50 years old on March 10. He would have probably wanted
to keep that out of the news, but considering all the pranks and things
he had done to his friends over the years, I'm sure none of us would
have been willing to let that day pass quietly. Gerald Wolfe, Scott
Fowler and Scott Howard would have been at the front of that fray, but
I would have gladly given them the name of some people I know in the
roadside billboard business.
People often ask about Debbie,
Chelsea and Jordan (Roger's family). The best way to keep up with them
is by visiting www.rogerbennett.typepad.com. There, Debbie keeps
everyone up-to-date on their lives and it's there that you'll also gain
a lot of insight of why Roger meant so much to so many.
In the
meantime, we really should not look at March 17 as the date of Roger's
death. Instead, he'd want us to look at it as the day he finally
fulfilled his ultimate goal: To be forever...In His Grip.
