Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling
Calling for you and for me.
See on the portals He’s waiting and watching
He’s watching for you and for me.
Come home, come home
Ye who are weary come home.
Earnestly, tenderly Jesus is calling
Calling oh sinner come home.
I must tell you about my friend Hal Riddle singing that song, I do.
It was four or five years ago at a local nursing home when I first met him. I had been invited there by the chaplain to give my testimony. I couldn’t help but notice this handsome gray-haired gentleman sitting in the first row, looking so excited and smiling as I shared my story. After I finished speaking to the residents, he came up and introduced himself and told me that he was one of the only Christians on the campus of that nursing home – you see, it was a home for retired movie and stage actors along with people who worked in that industry, and most of them were very cynical about spiritual things -- but not Hal Riddle. When he was an actor in New York, he became aware that something was missing in his life. Even after he moved to Hollywood and was in many movies playing supporting roles, still, he was spiritually restless. That’s when a friend led him to Christ and Hal Riddle has been on fire for the Lord ever since.
By the time I met Hal, he was 85 years old but just as passionate for the Gospel as when he was young. Over the last four years or so, I struck up quite a friendship with this elderly gentleman. I remember he often told me, “Joni, when it’s time for me to go home to be with Jesus, I want you to come back to this nursing home and speak at my memorial service here and tell all these cynical people about the Gospel. We can’t let one of them slip by without hearing the good news.”
Well, it was only three weeks ago I got a call from Hal. He told us he had cancer and the doctors explained it was pretty advanced. I wrote him a letter about heaven and all the things he might see when he would soon arrive on that celestial shore. Then just recently – just five days ago – I received the news that Hal Riddle had slipped out of this earth’s atmosphere and has gone to heaven. Oh, it happened so fast; I was so shocked. This past weekend it was my pleasure to speak at that memorial service for Hal at the nursing home. And you know the room was packed. I read part of that letter about heaven to the folks who attended and I sang this song “Softly and Tenderly.” Did any of those movie people open their hearts to Christ? I can’t say. But I can say that I'm going to carry on the tradition that Hal started and continue to drop by that nursing home. It is a mission field and I have a feeling Hal is still praying alongside the Savior that these dear people might come to know Jesus Christ, the only Answer to their deepest longings. A local nursing home really can be a mission field. That’s something that my friend Hal Riddle taught me.
And once again, let me remind you of our website. Come by and visit us any time. It’s joniandfriendsradio.org.
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