All About Ben

By Ben Robinson

Ben Robinson

Good news.

After last week’s session of moaning “poor me” about not having the Pickens-Twelve Mile trip to Kentucky available for this year’s vacation, Bobby Haley called me and invited me to go with a group he’s taking from Easley First Baptist to Kentucky.

I was overwhelmed. The chance to go with Bobby Haley to Kentucky is a rare one. He’s been retired several years, but wherever he decides to attend church usually finds a way to sponsor a trip to Kentucky. He sometimes accompanies his son Jeff, who is a youth minister at a church near Columbia.

Plus, I worked for many years in a building next to Easley First Baptist, and I consider its pastor, Dr. John Adams, a friend.

Of course I accepted the opportunity.

I went to my first meeting Sunday. I expected many people to be there, but there were only six. First Baptist is a big church, but it has many other projects going on.

Quickly I found out that I will be working with the older children class at Victory Baptist Church (fifth and sixth graders). I am familiar with Victory because the Pickens-Twelve Mile group worked there for many years. It’s probably one of the larger churches in Bell County, Ken., but as country as a butterbean.

None of the people going with me has ever been to Kentucky, except Bobby, of course. But I know from more than 20 years of trips that I can face something new there myself. So I need to be available to help anyone who has trouble with the new environment but be ready for something new myself.

Jeff is an immensely talented person, though I’ve only had the pleasure of working with him a couple of times. I look forward to this opportunity.

He will bring a group of helpers from his youth group in Columbia, so I look forward to meeting them.

I know that when God seems to go out of his way to open doors for you opportunity-wise, He’s likely to expect something special back. Maybe I will be challenged by a student in one of my classes, or simply asked to make a difference in one child’s life. Whatever it is, I need to pray and be ready for it, so I can do the best job I can with it.

I look forward to preparing for this trip over the next few weeks, the trip itself, and all the life lessons I hope to bring back from Kentucky with me. And I look forward to going back with the group from Pickens-Twelve Mile next year.