He Prayed for US!

There is a little, old Church that stands on a grassy knoll on the West Road in Monticello, Maine. It was once a vibrant meeting place for the Primitive Baptist people in that community and neighboring New Brunswick, Canada. In 1917 my grandfather, Clifford Burpee Cain, was ordained to the gospel ministry at the West Road Church.

We didn't ever see him and our Dad had no memory of him, for he died in 1918 of a tuberculosis infection when our father was only two years old. He left this earth at the age of forty-two, but he left a tremendous inheritance to all of us. [From his obituary:  "Mr. Cain was a great sufferer, nevertheless, he displayed the Spirit of his Master. . . dying in the triumph of Christian faith."] Oh, he didn't leave us money or earthly treasures. Instead, he heaped upon all of us the benefits of his prayer life. We have been told by some of the older Christians in Monticello and nearby towns that our grandfather was a man greatly devoted to prayer. We are told that it was his habit to pray all night long once a week for his family and the generations to come! That includes you and me and our families. I will never be able to tell you how thankful I am that my grandfather prayed for me long before I was born -- and he prayed for YOU.

When I was a child, we sometimes visited this Church for special services. Friends and family members met for joyous fellowship and preaching. Sometimes we had picnic lunches after service. The adults visited while the children played.

Most of the time, now, the West Road Church is quiet. Its  big steeple bell remains silent and its doors remain locked. Some older folks remember the blessing of that Church, still love the old building and tenderly care for it. They keep it clean and have it ready for the rare worship service held there. Much of its history is lost to me. But it is a symbol of our family's Christian roots and heritage. 

In July of 2010, as part of a family reunion, we met at this little Church for spiritual renewal and revival services. One of the speakers was my brother. He became the second Clifford Cain to preach from the Word of God at the West Road Church. (Here he is pictured at the old piano with his little grandson, Eli.)

How about you? How about me? Are we building a spiritual legacy for the generations to come? Do we pray for them? There is nothing better we can leave for our children and grandchildren than a faithful Christian example. May GOD help us to be faithful in doing just that.