Praising God for His Servants

I praise God for a man named Carl Hodges. Carl was in his late fifties when I really got to know him. He was on medical retirement from his job due to a terribly bad heart. I met him when Gayle and I became Christians and got involved in our local church.
I was excited about the things of the Lord and eager to serve in any way that I could. I worked night shift at the time so I had my days free so Carl invited me to join him as he ministered around the community. He drove an aqua-blue Ford Pinto that had a top speed of about 45 miles-per-hour and I would meet him at the church and off we would go. I, the 23 year-old new Christian, and he, the seasoned servant of the Lord. We went to nursing homes, the homes of those that were too ill or too elderly to go to church, and other places around our community seeking to minister to the people there. We would teach them Sunday School lessons or pray with them or just be there to encourage them in the Lord. The first time that I ever taught the Bible was in an elderly woman's living room under the direction of Carl.
Carl went to be with the Lord Jesus about 10 years or so ago now. When he died he had very little materially to speak of. He did not leave behind great wealth or great acheivements in the eyes of the world. But God used this simple and humble man to greatly impact my life. He taught me with his actions what it really meant to be a servant of others and to love the Lord Jesus in such a way that it allows that love to spill over into other people's lives. He taught me that the work of God that goes on behind the scenes in nursing homes and in the living rooms of shut-ins is important to the heart of God. And he taught me that God can use anyone that is willing to be used by Him. I praise God for Carl Hodges and hope that I can be more like this simple servant who had a heart for God and a heart for others.