Betty Whitaker Jackson

Several months ago I was contemplating writing a book called Cloud of Witnesses, Stories of Grace-filled Christians walking with the Lord in this life. Two people who have most influenced my walk with the Lord are Leon and Emily Pippin. Yesterday, dear Leon passed to Glory, and as I post this, Emily is hospitalized for the second time this month.

Along with dear friends Jeff and Priscilla Framm, Marion Redding, and the three Bettys: Bettie Pruitt, Betty Winn, David Fife, Ted Wareing and myself, and others pressed into service for trips to the store, the doctors’ visits, infusion and hydration appointments, and shopping, we were loyal caregivers. We got to know Leon and Emily when life was difficult, when pain needed to be managed, when tough decisions were being made, and where only prayer revived our strength.

Their trust in God’s faithfulness and mercy never wavered, even when things were so difficult, and they didn’t want others knowing their business or their needs.

These pieces are in present tense; that’s by choice. But I will add a few things which blessed me in the last couple of weeks when I spent caregiving time with them. Priscilla and I saw Herculean Leon at his best when my husband was on his way to pick up Emily, who was being discharged from the hospital. He wanted the house totally in order. Directing us, as if in one of his productions, we were told exactly how things needed to be prepared for her homecoming. “Can you find something pretty for the table?” he asked. “Clean the stovetop. Clear off the counter. Put out M & M’s. No, she doesn’t like that color! Make sure her water pitcher is on the counter, filled to two cups.”  I swear, he was like a general!

But in intimate moments, he would tell of his nighttime walks. He refused to stay in his hospital bed in the family room. “The Lord graced me with another day to put my feet on the ground,” he’d say. Every twenty minutes or so, he’d go around the house.  He told me he liked to stand by Emily’s bed while she slept, and pray over her. And because she was finishing a jigsaw puzzle, he asked me for a puzzle he could do. On Monday night I brought him one of the puzzles our grandchildren love. It has animals on it, and he learned what a toucan is. He asked me several times about toucans. We talked about the sense of humor God must have in creating toucans, and the little mice, and the tigers. He talked about his little dog Shortstop, and what a wonderful companion he was. Just little things, but always with comments, “God is so good!”

He called his brother in California, and they shared a beautiful time. Leon was the encourager to his brother who has two heart aneurisms and a wife with Alzheimer’s. Imagine, Leon was the one doing the blessing. Then he checked the calendar. Yes, Emily had a doctor’s appointment on Wednesday. He had to make sure Betty Winn could take her. It was the same time as our small group, and he wouldn’t hear of my changing my plans to take her. When I left at close to midnight, Brett, his youngest son, woke from his four hour nap to take charge for the rest of the night. Hospice caregivers were to begin the next day.

I am sure he is amazed this day to see just how great and good He is, as Leon basks in the glory of heaven. God bless you, Leon, and we await the day we’ll again share your wisdom, your wit, your love, and the joy of praising Him together where you’ll welcome us.

As I write this, dear Emily is in ICU at Holmes Hospital, and cannot have visitors except family. Be in prayer for her.

Dear Leon:

I count my dear brother in Christ, Leon Pippin, as one of my Cloud of Witnesses. Just as Paul in the book of Hebrews noted those who followed our Lord in such a manner as to inspire others’ faith, so I add Leon’s name to mine. He has influenced me in my walk with the Lord.

I have known Leon for almost nine years, since our retirement and move to Florida. When I think of Leon, I recognize his keen wit, his utter devotion to the Lord, his kindness, his gentle demeanor, his humility, his intensity, his attention to details, his direct assessment of any situation, and yes, his vulnerability. His reliance is totally on the Lord he serves and his responses to life’s situations are always framed in reliance upon God’s will, not his own. He has taught me well, though I am not always a willing student, and certainly have not mastered the principles he has taught me in words, in prayer, and in example.

But it is as a fellow writer, one who has encouraged me, that I find Leon to be insightful, skillful, a wordsmith beyond compare, a genius at expressing giant thoughts in few words, and those distilled and so very appropriate. His scripture monologues bring the Bible alive. Who can forget Zeke and the live lamb, or the stunning portrayal of the Lord’s Supper behind a giant scrim? His wonderful book, Naked with Clothes On, is a masterful memoir, a story of humble beginnings which fostered a life of service and love for others. If ever there is an example of one whose beginnings could have led to a life of subjugation and wandering without hope, it is Leon. But that would be Leon without the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and the truly personal relationship he enjoys with his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

That is his transformation. That is the biggest influence, the very foundation, for the Leon we love and admire. Of course, his other achievements are stellar. His degrees, his long and beautiful marriage to sweet Emily, his fathering of four delightful children, his raising them well, his determination to support his dear family whatever the circumstances, his awesome sense of humor, his excitement at the birth of an idea which forces him to write about it, to share it, to craft it into whatever form it just must take, his insight, his years directing plays and productions, the students who to this day hail him as their favorite teacher, and his hundreds of friends who love him and hug him, and, like me, admire him and know the passion with which he loves others in the Lord. That is our Leon.

Whether writing haiku, an art form at which he excels, or crafting devotionals, or noticing the very fabric of life and turning it to a Godincidence, Leon has the ability to cut through life’s nonsense, and make it a God Thing! He never fails to leave my home without offering prayer for us and our walk with the Lord. He uses the Lord’s Name in every conversation, and in these days, so longs to join Him in the heavenly realms. He has grown in stature and faith in these days of cancer. My usual statement to him is, “God isn’t finished with you yet, dear Leon.” You shine as one of my Cloud of Witnesses in the appreciation you show to your friends, your family, and most importantly, to our Lord, and I thank Him for putting you in my life.

Be well, dear friend in Christ, in this life and the next, dear brother, and beaming Light of Christ through every imaginable cloud.

Dear Emily:

My dear, sweet friend, Emily Pippin, is a sister in Christ, a firm example of one who is a member of my cloud of witnesses. She is a person I admire greatly as a woman of faith, a thoughtful and caring Proverbs 31 woman, and a daughter of the King.

Emily is meticulous in all she does, a planner, an executer, and a woman who sets a goal and relentlessly accomplishes it with panache and excellence. She finds no task too large for her immense talents, and finds a way to innovatively put her special stamp of approval on the project to others’ amazement.

She is relentless in following the Lord’s will for her life, always striving to affect others with her positive comments, her writing, her wisdom, and her sharing spirit. Blessed with amazing insight, Emily can assess a situation, suggest improvements, and negotiate solutions with dexterity and charm. Her accomplishments are many. Costume designer and implementer, performance specialist, relentless seeker of excellence, meticulous proofreader, writer of genealogies, family historian, model homemaker, and outstanding spouse to Leon.

As a Proverbs 31 woman, she finds pleasure in planning for the future, in providing for her family and others, in nurturing her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, a teacher of generations, an artistic creator of plays and productions, and a homemaker who keeps everything in order and knows there are no concerns about the future.

She is now assigned the life role of care-giving, where she is an encourager, a fearsome prayer warrior, an advocate, a concerned wife, and a loving partner. She is a sacrificial servant, a model to those who watch from the sidelines, and who pray for her strength. She has assisted her dear Leon in warfare, and were it up to her, she expects miraculous healing and restoration. And she would willingly trade places and take on the role of patient rather than that of caregiver. That’s just who she is.

She and her loving husband, Leon, have become dear friends, and I can hardly say their names separately. Like a favorite poet of mine, eecummings, who runs words together for emphasis, I cannot say just Leon’s name or just hers, it’s always Leonandemily, one phrase, one moniker, one thought.

Few women in my life have been such an influence. Emily is special in all the ways she serves our Lord. A stellar musician, she has learned and taught her craft well. She is knowledgeable about the Bible, and loves the Word deeply. She is always learning. She made sure her children and students knew the Sovereignty of God and loved Him with all their heart, soul, strength, and mind because she does. Her example of Christ-walking is enviable and those who know her as I do, know how deep and wide the Father’s love for her is displayed in her sanctified living standards. There is no question from where her strength comes. The Lord shines through her as if she were a beautiful stained glass window in the mightiest cathedral. She spreads sunshine and beauty in her wake. Those privileged to know this dear woman have been touched by greatness. She is a star shining through my cloud of witnesses, and I am privileged to call her my friend.