February 10, 1970 was an exciting day for Cathy and me. We had been anticipating the birth of our second child for 9 months and seemingly were better prepared than we were for our first. John Aaron our first, was born in 1967 in New Orleans during my second year of surgical training. I was very busy with my work and had very poor skills as a husband and expectant father. This was during the era prior to birthing rooms and fathers were isolated from the delivery process. As a doctor I could have been present in the delivery room, but my attitude was I didn’t want to place added tension to the obstetrician Dr. Sistrunk. In reality I was more concerned about my own anxiety, and Cathy was pretty much without my physical presence and support during her labor and delivery. I purposed to do better with our second.

I completed my surgical training in 1969, and Cathy and I moved to Valdosta, Georgia where I was assigned duty in the U.S. Air Force as a Major in the medical corps at Moody Air Force Base. The base hospital was small by Air Force standards, and I was the only surgeon which suited me well. There was only one obstetrician, Major (Dr.) Henry Schilowitz, who was from New York City and had been trained there. We had a very good professional relationship, and I assisted him on all of his major surgical procedures.

One of Cathy’s best friends Flonnie McKoy was also pregnant with her second child and due to deliver in early February of 1970. Flonnie’s husband, Pete was the base veterinarian, and he also was one of my good friends. Cathy went into labor in the early morning hours of February 10, and I drove her to the hospital which was about 10 miles from our home which was in town. We discovered when we got to the hospital Flonnie had already checked in ahead of us, and she was a little further along in her labor than Cathy.

By mid-morning Flonnie was taken into the delivery room where Dr. Schilowitz managed her delivery process. By this time Cathy was far along in her labor and requiring significant pain medication for relief. There were 2 delivery rooms in the operating suite and Cathy’s nurse was telling us that they were going to have to move her very soon to that 2nd room. I called Dr. Schilowitz on the intercom and anxiously asked him if he was almost finished with Flonnie’s delivery. He said the baby was delivered with no complications, but Flonnie’s placenta had not separated, and he could not leave her. He said, “I guess you will have to deliver your own baby!” I told him there was no way I was going to do that except in case of a dire emergency. I had lots of experience delivering babies when I was an intern so that was not a concern, but I was not up to the emotional stress of delivering our little girl. I said, “Henry, you let me come in there and deliver that placenta, and you get over to Room 2 to deliver Cathy’s baby.” He laughed and said, “If that is what you want me to do!”

We moved Cathy into Room 2 and I scrubbed my hands to assist Flonnie in the completion of her delivery.  I was greatly relieved when Dr. Schilowitz scrubbed his hands and entered Room 2 minutes before Cathy delivered our baby. I was still in the process of removing the retained placenta when word came from a nurse, “You and Cathy now have a beautiful and healthy little girl!” If I were in a place where crying was appropriate, I would have shed a few tears of relief and joy.

Flonnie and Pete had their 2nd boy whom they named Brodie, and our 1st girl whom we named Mary Katharine. John Aaron said he was excited to have a sibling, but he had wanted a brother all along. Later I took him to the hospital to see his little sister, and after he poked at her a few times and she didn’t poke back, he thought she would be alright at least for the time being.

Cathy was kept in the hospital for 3 days which helped her recovery process, and I was a lot more attentive to her, both before, during and after the delivery. At least I was learning to be a better husband and father but was still a major work in progress. The hospital sent us a bill for Cathy’s hospital stay, and the total was $ 7.68 which we were able to pay in full! Years later when Mary Kay was a teenager and causing some stress in the family which is common to all with teens; I jokingly said to her, “I guess you get what you pay for.”

Happy 45th birthday Mary Kay! It is fun for us to remember and tell of your birthing at Moody Field, although you don’t remember any of it. Despite your bargain basement cost to us in the beginning, you are an absolute priceless treasure to your Mom and me. But you sure caused some major stress to your Dad at the time of your arrival!

Dr. John aka Mary Kay’s Dad

John Aaron, Proud Dad, Mary Kay
Easter 1970

Christians in the past often had the notion that sharing one’s faith must be done on a specific night of church visitation using one of several methods of witnessing. That was certainly one form of obedience to the Great Commandment (Matt. 28:18-20) which was common among evangelical churches during the decades of the 1950’s through the 1980’s. During Cathy’s and my journey of faith in some of those years we made many home visits in efforts to lead people to a saving knowledge of Christ. Seemingly our best efforts did not produce much fruit, but a level of spiritual discipline was built into us which we needed and helped us grow spiritually.

The model of personal evangelism began shifting during the early 1990’s to what was called lifestyle evangelism. Believers were encouraged to develop deeper relationships with people whom they might see daily such as a neighbor, a co-worker or an acquaintance; and within the context of that friendship being alert to any opportunities for sharing one’s faith. There seemed to be a loss in the fervency of personal evangelism when church visitation disappeared, because the accountability factor was lost. With lifestyle evangelism one had to have more passion and self motivation to keep the witnessing as a priority. So many are intimidated to remain silent regarding faith and salvation believing they will be thought of as religious fanatics while intelligent and thoughtful people will avoid having anything to do with them. There certainly is some truth to that; however, friendships are made and grow stronger based on trust and loving-kindness, not confrontation and judgement.

The opening of the Free Medical Clinic of the Ozarks in 2008 has afforded Cathy and me the opportunity to share our faith regularly. We serve as chaplains in the clinic and the express purpose of the clinic is to share the hope and spiritual healing of Christ with everyone that comes to the clinic for free medical care and free medicines. We understand these opportunities at the clinic do not relieve us of the privileges we have in sharing Christ in whatever circumstances we are throughout the day.

Cathy is especially alert and sensitive to those who come to our home as either invited guests or service providers whom we have called to help us with maintenance issues. During casual conversations with family or friends, she has the heart and sometimes the boldness to turn the subject to spiritual matters when appropriate. She has challenged me and taught by example the importance of looking for opportunities to see the eternal within the context of the temporal. It has been an exciting adventure to see witnessing doors which God opens unexpectedly. One such case occurred as a result of poor television reception.

When we lived in Fayetteville, Arkansas, of necessity we had satellite television because cable service was not available in our subdivision. Internet cable was available through Cox Cable, but we could not take advantage of the savings of subscribing to both services. We were pleased with our television service although reception was poor and sometimes absent during thunderstorms. Upon moving to Branson, both cable services were available to us so we dropped the satellite television service. After about a year of poor television quality in our home and multiple service calls which failed to correct the issue, we decided to switch back to satellite television. I called DirectTV and made an appointment for one of their technicians to install a satellite dish for us.

The young man who came was an excellent technician and installed the equipment quickly and expertly. I asked permission to follow him as he worked, so I would have at least a little knowledge of the equipment. During the 60 minutes he worked, I found out some personal things about him such as where he and his wife lived; how many children they had and how long they had lived in the Branson area. I asked if they attended church, and like so many who don’t, he said, “No, we haven’t been able to find a good church out in the country where we live.” I stressed the importance a church would have in reinforcing any spiritual teaching their children receive at home. While he agreed with me, I suspected he didn’t have a personal relationship with Christ, but didn’t pursue that with any further questions. I simply gave him a card which I keep in my wallet for such an encounter. I told him I wanted him to have this little card if he promised he would just read it before retiring to bed that evening. He agreed he would; thanked me and left for another installation appointment

The two cards above are a single card, and one has to turn it upside down to read both messages. On the back is written what one must do to have a personal relationship with Christ and thus be saved. It is a unique witnessing tool, and Cathy and I have given out hundreds of them over the past 20 years.

Approximately 6 months later in the evening while serving as chaplain at the Free Clinic, I called a young man whom I didn’t recognize into my office. We shook hands after our introduction, and I said, “Since this is your first visit to the clinic, tell me a little about yourself.” He immediately said, “You know that little card you gave me has been sitting on my dresser ever since, and I look at it all the time!” I then remembered him and said, “You sure did a great job installing our satellite dish, and we’ve had no problem with it. I’m so glad you kept the card, but have you done what it says on the back you must do?” He said, “No I haven’t but I would like to!” I took the Bible from my desk and after explaining the verses from the card, he bowed his head and invited Christ to come into his life and save him. It was a very tender moment. I said, “Let’s call your wife into the room and tell her the good news of your new relationship with Christ. Is she a Christian?” I asked. “No, I don’t think so,” he said.

When his wife came into the room, and I explained to her what had just happened, I asked if she would also like to receive Christ’s free gift of salvation like her husband? She responded, “Yes, I sure would.” She bowed her head and humbly invited Christ to also become her Savior. There was great rejoicing with tears in that clinic room that night, and there was also a great celebration among the angels in heaven according to the Bible. (Luke 15:10)

God doesn’t call us to be great Christians and great soul-winners, He simply calls us to be faithful to tell the good news we have received to those who need Him. It is amazing what our great God has done for us, and what He will do for those who hunger for Him. (John 6:48-51)

Dr. John

Cathy and I recently watched an episode on television of the series Blue Bloods, and at the conclusion of the program the New York City Police Commissioner was seated at the table with his family preparing to have a meal. As is frequently depicted he voiced a prayer before the meal and made the sign of the cross. It was a touching scene of his family giving thanks before enjoying their meal and family time. Cathy and I agreed how we wished more families would follow their example and not only pray before meals but in family devotions as well.

Such was not the case for Cathy and me prior to marriage and was not part of our lifestyle for several years after marriage. Our families individually prayed before meals usually on Sunday, but this was the extent of our family prayer life. My family never had a family devotion and seldom talked with each other about spiritual things. Cathy’s experience at home was similar.

I have previously written about the spiritual impact my brother Berry Lee (Bubba) had on us, and it began soon after we were married in 1965. During his visit with us in New Orleans several months after marriage he began witnessing the love of Christ to us, and one of the highlights of his visit was a special meal at Commanders Palace. I have recounted the shock both Cathy and I experienced when Bubba prayed what seemed like the longest prayer ever voiced prior to our meal. We had never been a part of anything similar.

Following our spiritual conversion twelve years later Cathy and I understood more clearly the necessity of prayer. We believe prayer whether at home or in a restaurant is a personal matter and should never be done to impress others or make them believe we are spiritually superior. It is simply a matter of showing gratitude and praise to the One who has given us all we have.

Soon after our conversion we began praying before every meal while holding hands. In the beginning we felt self-conscious but continued because we knew this was the right thing to do. The first confirmation of our belief occurred while attending an advanced Bill Gothard seminar in Denton, Texas in 1978 one year following our conversion.

Bubba tried to convince us the best place to stay for the seminar was on campus at North Texas State University. The conference was being held in their large gymnasium, and they were offering couples to stay in their dormitory suites at a considerable cost savings. This especially appealed to Bubba. Cathy and I discussed the options and decided to stay at a Holiday Inn which would provide us more privacy and luxury than a dorm room. The big disadvantage was it was a fifteen minute drive from the NTSU gym. We had no idea whether any other conference attendees were staying at the Holiday Inn, but discovered after  checking in the motel was full.

The morning of the start of the conference we were in the coffee shop having breakfast and noted the restaurant was full. We remarked there must be some other event in town to have so many people in the motel, including lots of children who we knew were not attending the Bill Gothard meeting. A couple approached our table and asked if we were attending the seminar, and we were surprised they would even suspect it. We were not wearing our name badges. They asked if they might ride with us because they had flown to Denton from Charlotte, North Carolina and did not have a vehicle. We got to know Gary and Virginia Cooper well over the next several days of riding  back and forth together, and then having some meals together. We asked how they picked us out of a large crowded restaurant, and their response was, “We saw you praying together before the meal and suspected you might be attending the seminar!”

God used that “chance meeting” of the Cooper’s two years later when a couple who were well-known to us from El Dorado but living in Charlotte called me one morning. The husband tearfully told me he and his wife were having serious marital problems and were on the verge of divorce. He asked in a desperate tone, “Is there anything you can possibly do to help us?” I told him Cathy and I knew a couple in Charlotte who might be able to help. I called the Cooper’s and they responded quickly by connecting with our friends and becoming a critical source for reconciliation. The marriage relationship of our friends was slowly stabilized with the aid of the Cooper’s, and they are still together now over thirty years later.

The Cooper’s were also instrumental in encouraging another set of friends who lived in a town neighboring Charlotte. He was a physician classmate, and he and his wife needed encouragement in attending the Bill Gothard seminar in Charlotte. Their experience with the Cooper’s and the lessons taught at the seminar strengthened their marriage and changed the dynamics of their home.

Over the years we have had people who were strangers come to our table in a restaurant and quietly say, “I saw you two praying together before your meal, and it meant a lot to me.” We have never had anyone say, “I wish you wouldn’t make a public display of your religion.” God uses our witness for Him in so many ways unknown to us, but occasionally He sends someone like the Cooper’s to reinforce His words: “In all your ways acknowledge Me, and I will direct your path.” (Prov. 3:6)

Dr. John

PS: Following the conference Bubba and LaNell never stayed in another college dormitory suite. Their experience according to Bubba was not worth the cost savings..