USGN Article -May 2003
Terry & Barbi Franklin
By: Terry Franklin

A Rabbit’s Foot

I recently had breakfast with Jim Murray, former tenor singer with the Gaither Vocal Band and Imperials Quartet.  Jim is a living legend and one of the singers I have admired the most through the years.  He is one of the nicest men you’ll ever meet and has a remarkable story – after singing gospel music for over 20 years, Jim accepted Christ as his Savior.

I asked Jim what that looked like….I mean, how could you be singing about Jesus, salvation, and knowing the Lord, even seeing people come forward in meetings to receive Christ….and not have a relationship with Him yourself.

This is a phenomenon.  But I have now met other well-known singers and pastors who share a similar story.  One man pastored a growing church of over 1000 people, but didn’t know the Lord himself.  Could it be that the phrase, “…didn’t know the Lord” in the last sentence is part of the problem?

When I was a kid I had a rabbit’s foot that I kept in my pocket for good luck.  We southerners are a superstitious bunch – whether it’s avoiding black cats or serving black-eyed peas on New Year’s Eve, carrying around our “lucky” silver-dollar, or really believing those stories about sightings of Hank Williams….or Elvis.  It may have something to do with a bunch of us coming from Scotch-Irish roots.  But I digress….)

 I didn’t really “believe” that the rabbit’s foot would bring me good luck, but I didn’t want to take any chances.  I figured it, along with a tiki figure a neighbor kid gave me, not stepping on cracks in the sidewalk, and not walking under ladders, would, cumulatively, give me BETTER luck.  Of course, I added God to this collection.

At the age of thirteen I realized that God wanted ALL of me.  Jesus wasn’t someone to simply “know about,” but someone to really KNOW.  All the other ‘gods’ in my life went in the trash.  

Maybe this is what Jim was talking about.  But I wonder how many other good church members, gospel singers, and even pastors are out there who know about Jesus….but have virtually no relationship with Him.  Pray that God will open their eyes.

I now own a cute little black cat….

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