A Hero's Reward

In a day when there are very few real heroes, I heard a story about one. His name is John Cook, and he has gone home to his eternal reward. Ever since I have been in Decatur, I have heard about this godly man, about all the things he does for people and organizations -- how he prays with his employees and ministers constantly. But what impressed me most was a story I heard about Mr. Cook on Wednesday. Literally, he was on his death bed, knowing he would soon leave this life but not aware that he had only a matter of days. A dear friend walked into his room and saw Mr. Cook holding the hand of his nurse. Not knowing what was happening, he quietly exited the room to come back later. When he did, he found them still sitting there, holding hands, with tears in their eyes. Mr. Cook looked at his friend and then said to the nurse, "Why don't you tell him what just happened to you?" The nurse looked at this man and said, "Mr. Cook just led me to Jesus." On his death bed, John Cook was concerned about the spiritual well-being of a woman he didn't even know. What a hero!

I know that I may not have all the details of the story correct; it may not have happened exactly like I have written it. Tales like this sometimes take on a life of their own, but everything I know about John Cook leads me to believe that even if the details aren't correct, the story is true. As I reflected on this story, all I could do was pray and ask God to make me a soul-winner like John Cook. I know that he wouldn't want people to consider him a hero, but in my mind, he is.