Events sometimes touch the heart

by Sherry Digmon
July 28th, 2010

A couple of events over the weekend were particularly special for us.

The We Care Program 40th anniversary celebration Saturday was so meaningful. Not everyone has a heart for prison ministry. I think I would be safe to say most people don’t even understand prison ministry. It’s truly a calling.

At Saturday afternoon’s service, six former inmates stood on the stage at Grace Fellowship and talked about what We Care meant to them. One of the men told the chaplains in attendance he knew they didn’t have to come in the prison … but they did. He also said some folks would have the attitude that it’s not their fault those men are in prison; they did it to themselves. And that would be correct.

But it’s also true that some men and women are called by God to minister to the brothers and sisters in white. Those six men standing on the stage Saturday were so grateful someone had answered that call. Their lives were changed because someone came.

When Martin Weber started New Life Foundation (later We Care) 70 years ago, he could not have foreseen what this program would become nor the thousands of lives that would be touched.

He was simply answering a call.

Sunday afternoon, the Dewitt Allen Memorial Library was dedicated at Brooks Memorial Baptist Church.

Rev. Allen was a man of letters, having received his Doctorate of Ministries from Luther Rice Seminary in Atlanta. He never stopped studying.

His wife Dot and their son Schuyler donated Rev. Allen’s books to the library. To me, that would be a huge personal sacrifice. I think it would be hard to part with the books a loved one had read and probably re-read, the books with handwritten notes.

But seeing the greater good, they gave the books to the church Rev. Allen pastored for 19 years.

Also taking place Sunday afternoon, the Greater Escambia Council for the Arts held auditions for the upcoming production of Arsenic and Old Lace. Should be a good one.

We’re extremely fortunate to have such a great theater group in Atmore. Let’s support them.

Something that comes to mind as I write this column is that there’s always something going on. There are events and happenings almost every weekend. Last weekend, the Rotary Club sponsored the South Alabama Fiddlers’ Convention. It was great.

Get out and get involved. Support your community.

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