Randy Willis and Coach Darrell K Royal

Even an old bling hog finds an acorn now and then.

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My father was born and raised in Longleaf, Louisiana. He was delighted when the announcement was made. The undefeated Oklahoma Sooners, led by All-American Quarterback Darrell Royal, were to play the Cinderella team of the South, the LSU Tigers. This match was scheduled for January 2, 1950, in the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans.

Two weeks before Friday, December 16, temperatures dropped to the mid-20s as a Blue Norther blew into Central Louisiana. Everyone wondered if there would be a White Christmas and how cold it would be during the Sugar Bowl. It had not snowed on Christmas Day in Central Louisiana since 1895.

Mother was concerned about the icy roads. She worried their Oldsmobile’s threadbare tires might cause the car to slide off Highway 165. The drive to Hargrove Clinic in Oakdale was 15 miles from their home in Longleaf. She was three weeks past due.

Daddy hoped the weather would hinder Oklahoma’s All-American Quarterback, Darrell Royal’s passing. He also wanted it to hinder his running to give the underdog LSU an edge. In World War II, Daddy drove and flew in the Aleutian Islands in Alaska with the Japanese in pursuit. Snow, ice, and threadbare tires were of little concern, but Oklahoma’s quarterback was.

William Rigsby Hargrove, M.D., delivered the baby boy, me. It was a cold (mid-40s) Monday before the stroke of midnight. The time was 10:55 on the 19th of December 1949.

Five years before, Dr. Hargrove delivered R.C. Slocum, who became the winningest coach in Texas A&M history.

Thus, my life began as a tiny 10-pound, 8-ounce boy. It was said to have been a 10-month pregnancy. The ordeal was too much for Mother—I would be her last child and Daddy’s only child. She was 36. Daddy was 30. Everyone called me Rand or Randy after my grandpa.

Two weeks after I was born, on January 2, 1950, a massive crowd gathered. Over 82,000 people attended the Sugar Bowl at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans. The weather was clear and in the 70s.

The newspapers reported the final score as 35 to 0 in favor of Oklahoma. However, Daddy could never recall that score.

In the strangest of dichotomies, I would become friends with Coach Darrell Royal and Coach R.C. Slocum. Go figures, me, destined to be a run-of-the-mill hayseed cowboy, would one day call these men friends. It should be noted that they were friends too.

Oklahoma’s All-American Quarterback Darrell Royal

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In 1994, Coach Royal remembered the score without any issue. He also recalled every play in detail over lunch at Cisco’s Restaurant on East 6th in Austin.

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From his youth, Coach Royal loved country music. Mae Axton taught him high school English in Oklahoma. She was a songwriter with a background in musical promotion. When she moved to Nashville, Coach Royal would visit her, and he began to meet other songwriters and country singers.

In 1955, Coach Royal was at Mississippi State University. It was his first collegiate head coaching job. The university was a mere five-hour drive to Nashville.

The following year, 1956, both of their lives changed forever. Mae Axton’s co-written tune Heartbreak Hotel was released by Elvis Presley two days after his twenty-first birthday in January. In December, Coach Royal was announced as head coach of the University of Texas.

The Texas Longhorns went from a 1–9 record in 1956. This was their worst record in the university’s history. They improved to a 6–4–1 in 1957 and earned a berth in the Sugar Bowl. The University of Texas had hired a winner and would never accept anything less.

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I never met Mae Axton, but I met many other incredible people due to my friendship with Coach Royal. I first met Lady Bird Johnson at Darrell Royal’s home on Onion Creek. It was south of Austin at one of his legendary pickin’ parties.

Her late husband, President Lyndon Johnson, was close friends with Coach Royal. The President would attend Longhorn football games. When asked if he was a Longhorn fan, he replied, “I’m a Darrell Royal fan.”

I last saw Lady Bird Johnson at the Headliners Club in Austin. As always, she was escorted by two Secret Service Agents.

She later had her book “Wildflowers Across America” hand-delivered to me at my home in Austin.

For Randy Willis

“A hero for Children’s Hospital and for our family. Your wisdom and your grace are our blessings.

“With generations of gratitude.”

Lady Bird Johnson

Luci Baines Johnson (Her daughter)

Nicole Nugent Covert (Her Granddaughter)

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I was thirteen on November 22, 1963. Around 1:00 that afternoon, I walked from my art classroom under the Angleton Junior High football stadium. A classmate named Robert Munson, who was very excited, stopped me between the cafeteria and gym. He asked, “Have you heard the President has been shot?”

Darrell Royal was hand-picked to greet President John F. Kennedy when Air Force One touched down at Bergstrom Air Force Base, seven miles from Austin, at 3:15 pm on November 22, 1963. The plane never made it.

Coach Royal was tying his tie and then heading to the airport when he heard the tragic news on the radio that President Kennedy had been shot in Dallas. Coach Royal’s close friend, Texas Governor John Connally, was shot, too.

Weeks later, on New Year’s Day at the Cotton Bowl, Coach Royal won the first of three national championships. While recovering in the hospital, Governor Connally was forced by his doctors to turn the TV off when he became too excited watching the game.

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In April of 1976, Coach Royal picked Johnny Rodriguez and me up at the Sheraton Crest Hotel (today, The LINE Austin). Country singer Moe Bandy was with him.

Coach Royal drove us to his home at 1200 Belmont Parkway on Shoal Creek by way of the new Austin highway, MoPac. The first six miles had opened the year before.

As he drove, I reminded Coach Royal that his longtime assistant, Leon Manley, recruited Larry Webb and me to play football at the University of Texas in 1968.

“Remind me again why you didn’t play for us?” Coach said.

“Because I never took the required algebra courses.”

“You’d be surprised how many others were refused for that reason,” he said.

Coach Royal asked me why I chose Southwest Texas State University (Texas State University today) in San Marcos. I thought I’d be clever and said, “Because of all the pretty girls.”

He looked me straight in the eyes and said, “That’s a hell of a reason to choose a college.” I thought he was going to run off the road.

He smiled and added, “We have pretty girls at the University of Texas, too.” I’ve never again compared UT to another college, at least not in front of Coach Royal.

I’m sure he never remembered recruiting me and was being his usual gracious self. But he remembered my high school teammate, Larry Webb. Larry played for him. Coach Royal told me where Larry was employed, Pelican’s Wharf Restaurant in San Antonio, and other details. I realized Coach Royal was concerned about his former players.

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I only watched a few football games with Coach. We have attended many music events over the decades. I was involved in that business: artist management, agent, publishing, booking, and promotion. Country music was his great escape and my way of paying for groceries and half the rent.

I’ve never known a person with so many friends. When I asked him about it, he said, “If you want a friend, you’ve got to be a friend first.”

Miss Edith told me Coach Royal loved people. Over the years, I watched many people approach him for autographs and photos. He never seemed bothered. To him, it came with the territory.

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We arrived at Coach Royal’s home on Belmont Parkway in 20 minutes. In the early days, his home at 1200 Belmont Parkway was the site of some of his pickin’ parties. The Villa Capri Hotel was the site of other impromptu ones since that’s where many touring country artists would stay.

We soon left for a Country Music Association event at the Armadillo World Headquarters in Austin. The CMA wanted to make peace with the “outlaw country” rebels. They moved their annual board meeting from Nashville to Austin in April 1976.

Willie Nelson moved to Austin in 1972 after Coach Royal told him, “You’d be more loved in Austin than anywhere.” Within three years, in 1975, Willie’s critically acclaimed album “Red Headed Stranger “was released. The following year, the CMA came to Austin.

The Armadillo was packed when we arrived. I met famous folks who were stars when I was a kid: Floyd Tillman, Pee Wee King, and Ed Ames. Later, Willie Nelson and Charlie Pride showed up after their set at a private party for the CMA at Soap Creek Saloon.

There were hippies, rednecks, cowboys, college students, athletes, politicians, and music industry big shots. Austin was the “Athens of the South.”

Austin went all out for the CMA. “Big Rikke,” an Armadillo legend known as “the Guacamole Queen,” cooked her famous shrimp enchiladas before the show.

Coach Royal retired from coaching in 1976 and remained director of athletics until 1980. He then served as special assistant to the university president on athletic programs. During his tenure, Royal oversaw the integration of African Americans into the UT athletics program.

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Coach Royal’s home at 10507 La Costa Drive south of Austin at Onion Creek Country Club was also the location of many pickin’ parties.

However, I attended them at numerous other sites. These include the Villa Capri Hotel in Austin, where many bands stayed. I also visited The Woodlands Country Club in The Woodlands and Barton Creek Country Club in Barton Creek. Additionally, I went to Coach Royal’s hotel suites, Rob Roy Neighborhood, and my Austin home for the last two decades of his life.

I learned to play golf from Coach Royal at Onion Creek. After seeing me struggle, he introduced me to the golf pro.

The pro reminded me there were only a few great, tall golfers. He did little to build my confidence but suggested I was too tall for my golf clubs. I bought a new custom set with extended shafts. It helped a little. Nevertheless, I may be the worst golfer that ever played with Coach Royal. He played golf way too fast for me, too.

Willie Nelson, Randy Willis, and Darrell Royal

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Ernest Owen was a close friend of Coach Darrell Royal. I was in Oakhill, Texas, with Coach on Ernest’s huge bus at the Silver Dollar to see an up-and-coming singer.

The young singer dropped by the bus to introduce himself to Coach Royal. For 30 minutes, he explained why he would be a star.

The only thing that stopped him was when his manager told him it was showtime. When he left, Coach Royal said, “Let that be a lesson on why you should never talk about yourself. Let others do that.” I have never forgotten that advice, except in this article.

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In 1996, I opened my copy of the Austin American-Statesman and read on the front page that the University of Texas honored Coach Royal by renaming the football stadium.

Before I finished reading the headline, Coach Royal called me. He wanted to make arrangements to attend a concert that night. The concert featured an artist I managed.

I said I’d be honored and added congratulations. “Oh, that,” he said, “Thank you.” He said he had received a phone call from the University of Texas Board of Regents weeks before. They requested a meeting at his home, which was rare.

After retirement, Coach Royal served as the Special Assistant to the President of the athletic program at the University of Texas.

Coach Royal said that he told Miss Edith after the phone call that the only reason they would be driving all the way out to their home was that he was being fired. He was at peace with that.

When they arrived and explained the purpose of the visit: they had voted to rename the UT football stadium in his honor. He was shocked but honored and agreed with one caveat. The name Texas Memorial Stadium would remain. I have never heard a man speak more humbly. Coach Royal was never boastful.

When World War II broke out during his senior year in high school, Coach Royal volunteered for the U.S. Army Air Corps. He played football for the 3rd Air Force team in 1945.

Additionally, the university established the Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium Veterans Committee, composed of alumni who served in World War II, Korea, Vietnam, or the Gulf Wars.

The committee is charged with dedicating the stadium to the memory forever and in honor of UT students and alumni who gave their lives for their country.

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The following year, after nine holes of golf on Willie’s Pedernales Cut-N-Putt Golf Course, we decided to shoot pool at Freddy Power’s home on the golf course. Bill McDavid and songwriter Sonny Throckmorton were with us. Willie was on tour.

The phone rang. Since I was closest to the phone, I reached for it. As I did, Coach Royal said, “Randy, if that’s Edith, tell her I’ll come home as soon as I’m damn good and ready!”

Before I could get the phone to my ear, Coach added, “And tell her I’m damn good and ready—right now.”

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Coach Royal asked me if I’d help him with the Ben Willie Darrell Youth Classic. My role began as a “gofer” and advanced very little over the years. Coach Royal would say, “Randy, would you tell Jimmy Dean he’s up next?”

I met some incredible people through Coach. I only had to ask three times, “Who’s that?” Sorry, Don Cherry, Charlie Duke, and Buffalo Bob Smith. And to think, I watched Howdy Doody as a kid. Today, I’m a fan of Don Cherry’s music. And to not know Charlie Duke walked on the moon is inexcusable.

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The last Ben Willie Darrell Youth Classic was held after 30 years. It was hosted by Ben Crenshaw (for the previous ten years), Willie Nelson, and Darrell Royal. Coach Royal always insisted that his name be listed last.

A few years later, the decision was made to have a reunion of Ben Crenshaw, Willie Nelson, and Darrell Royal’s charity event. Coach called me. I agreed to help and sponsored the music.

That year, the reunion raised over $250,000 for Austin Recovery and the Center for Child Protection.

A few weeks before, I asked Coach if I could have a film crew tape the three days of music at my expense. He said, “Let me sleep on it.”

The next day, he called and said, “I’ve decided not to do that, and I’ll tell you why. These entertainers are friends; most would feel obligated to say yes because I would be asking. What bothers me is that some would not like to be recorded even though they said yes. And what bothers me the most is that I’d never know that.”

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Later, I hosted an annual pickin’ party at my Austin home. Coach Royal never missed one. I always ran the dates by him and followed his rules, which included not talking while someone was singing.

Coach Royal had a red light in the room where everyone played. The red light appeared when you were talking while someone was performing.” I only had it happen to me once. I was only whispering. It scared me to death when everyone looked at me as if they’d just heard a dog talk. I never did it again.

I was standing next to Coach and Cactus Pryor one night at Barton Creek Country Club when a local “star” on stage who had begged to play used a very vulgar word. Coach Royal was agitated. Cactus looked at me as Coach walked off, then looked at the entertainer and said, “He will not be back.” The entertainer was never allowed back.

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Coach Royal was always teaching me. He once said, “Like me, you have many photos taken. Never have one taken with a drink in your hand, even if it’s water or a Coke. If you do within time, you will get the reputation that you are always drunk like Dean Martin has.”

A year or two later, seconds before a photographer took our photo in my backyard, we were at one of our pickin’ parties. I looked at Coach and said, “The drink.” He smiled, replied, “Oh, thanks,” and placed his glass of white wine on the ground.

A minute later, I thought, “Willis, who are you to correct Coach Royal?” He knew I was following his advice and was not offended.

We played golf once at The Woodlands near Houston. Coach Royal noticed I had an expensive watch on my wrist. He said, “I was given one much more expensive than your years ago by alumni when I retired. It’s in a safe deposit box. They will kill you today for a watch like that. This is what I wear. I paid $20 for it at a convenience store in Austin.”

I never wore that watch again, even though it was a fake Rolex I bought in Mexico. I never dared tell Coach that, but I did wonder what if I had been mugged for a fake watch.

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Coach Royal knew I wanted to be a writer. He introduced me to James Michener. My favorite Michener novels are “Hawaii,” followed by “Centennial” and, of course, “Texas.”

Author Lewis Timberlake invited me to Austin Baptist Church. Lewis had been my Sunday School teacher at Hyde Park Baptist Church. Coach Leon Manley was also in that class. That day, I also met James Michener’s friend, H.C. Carter.

H.C. invited me to lunch with his wife and former Austin Mayor Ron Mullen and his wife. H.C. was a founding member of the Texas Longhorn Breeders Association. H.C. and I sat at the Olive Garden Italian Restaurant next to each other and spoke the entire time.

I love Longhorn Cattle and Kiger Mustangs. I bought two Kiger Mustangs for my granddaughter, Olivia Grace Willis. She’s a ten-year-old cowgirl.

H.C. Carter raised Longhorn Cattle near Dripping Springs, only 20 minutes from where Olivia’s Mustangs are pastured.

James Michener was keenly interested in H.C.’s knowledge of Longhorn Cattle for his novel “Texas,” which later influenced my novels “Texas Wind” and “Destiny.”

While Michener gathered the information for his epic novel “Texas,” he spent many hours with H.C. Carter on his front porch in Dripping Springs, discussing cattle drives and Texas history.

Michener acknowledged H.C. more in his book than any other source. Michener told H.C. Carter, “If this book is a failure, it’s your fault.”

James Michener was a philanthropist who donated more than $100 million to educational, cultural, and writing institutions, including $37 million to the University of Texas. Michener lived his final years in Austin and endowed the Michener Center for Writers at the University of Texas.

I am reminded of how grateful I am for Coach Darrell Royal’s thoughtfulness. He introduced me to James Michener and others who loved Texas and the University of Texas.

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Coach Royal loved Mexican food and introduced me to Rudy “Cisco” Cisneros. He opened Cisco’s in East Austin in 1948. I got a call one day from Rudy, “I hear you’re working with Miss Texas. Well, why haven’t you brought her by?”

When we arrived, Rudy sat beside her. He said, “Honey, the next time you get paid, I’ll take you to dinner.”

Cisco’s has been my favorite place to eat breakfast in Austin for decades. Rudy called his table the Liars’ Table. It was an honor to be a member of Cisco’s Liars Club. If you called home from that table and said your car had broken down, the caller ID would read “Liar’s Club.”

It was rumored that so-called Bookies would occasionally sit at the table.

When Coach Royal spoke at Rudy’s funeral, he told the story of the time before two-a-day football practices when he called Rudy because he had a tight schedule. “Rudy, how’s the line?” Coach asked.

“I don’t know, Coach; I haven’t gotten it in yet.”

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On October 12, 2012 (a few weeks before Coach’s death), Coach Royal recited “The Eyes of Texas” in a studio while the Kyle Family sang back up.

Less than a month later, The Kyle Sisters would sing “The Old Rugged Cross” at his funeral at Coach Royal’s request.

He also asked them to change the lyrics when they sang it. He requested the line “So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross, till my trophies, at last, I lay down” be changed to “till my burdens at last I lay down.” He added, “My trophies don’t mean much to me now.”

Remarkably, his request was made with Alzheimer’s. Coach died on November 7, 2012, due to complications of Alzheimer’s disease.

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Tragedy struck the Royals in April 1973, when 27-year-old daughter Marian, an aspiring artist and mother of two, was killed when her car collided with a UT shuttle bus on West 7th near Mopac. She was in a coma for 19 days before succumbing.

Willie Nelson arrived at the Royals’ house but could not find the words, so he played his song “Healing Hands of Time.”

He’d sing it again for Coach Royal and Miss Edith nine years later after their youngest son David died in a motorcycle accident a couple of blocks from Marian’s crash.

And Willie sang it again at Coach Royals’ funeral with tears in his eyes. He wept, not alone.

Coach Royal was a mentor, hero, friend, and father figure. I miss him.

The Eyes of Texas Are Upon You, Coach—continuously.

Hook ‘em Horns!

Randy Willis
“To the Best of my Recollection”

Randy Willis’s Annual Pickin’ Party at his home in Austin honoring Coach Darrell Royal. Coach Royal never missed one.

#randywillis

#darrellroyal

Destiny and Three Winds Blowing by Randy Willis

Choose your Destiny

Hell and Destruction are never full; So the eyes of man are never satisfied. —Proverbs 27:20

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There are insatiable desires in man of appetites, recognition, money, and lust. Many are always wanting more, bigger, and better things. This is nothing new.

For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. —2 Corinthians 11:14

The eyes of man are never satisfied, the scripture records. Our restless heart that cannot find contentment in worldly possessions. We seem to be always seeking more.

Man has a hole in his heart. It’s a void, an emptiness. We can never fill it with relationships or money. Nor an endless array of entertainment, stimulants. Family and religion cannot fill this emptiness either.

Why? Only God can fill the “hole in our hearts.” Jesus Christ can and will satisfy that sense of longing and emptiness. We are designed—created—for God alone to occupy our souls: our heart, our mind, our will, our emotions.

For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. —Psalm 139:13

We need a personal relationship with the Lord of Creation, Jesus. This means a one-on-one connection with God in the Flesh. Jesus, the Christ of the Bible, fulfills this role. He alone can fill the longings of our hearts.

Millions try pills, drugs, and alcohol. History is littered with those who have taken this route. Some try education, career, family, and religion. My friend, only Jesus can fill the longing in our hearts. He alone can fill the hole in your heart—your soul —your mind.

Jesus loves you. He came to this earth because of that love. Jesus was beaten, and a crown of thorns was pressed into his head. His beard was plucked out. He was nailed to a cross naked. Shedding his blood, God’s blood for you and me.

His coat was gambled for. And dying high on that hill called Calvary—while his beloved mother wept. His disciples, who had witnessed His miracles, all fled—save one. Despised, mocked, and rejected, he prayed.

Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” And they divided His garments and cast lots. —Luke 23:34

All of this for you and me. That’s how much he loves you and me.

Do you want joy and peace, and a sense of purpose? Do you long to know why the Holy God in Heaven created you? Is his intent to jerk you up by the “nap of your shirt” and then condemn you with a smirk? Not hardly.

For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. —John 3:17

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Is your heart broken? Have your dreams failed? Are you overwhelmed? Are you oppressed? Jesus said in Like 4:18:

The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed. —Luke 4:18

Join me on the most extraordinary destiny ever offered to mankind.

This most extraordinary destiny ever offered to mankind.

You are of purer eyes than to behold evil, And cannot look on wickedness. —Habakkuk 1:13

The Lord God in Heaven cannot look upon sin, for He is Holy. Yet He loves us, sinful man, and has provided a way for us to be reconciled to Him. To spend eternity with Him.

This is the story of this most extraordinary destiny ever offered to mankind.

Let’s begin with the last invitation in the Word of God, it is in Revelation 22:17:

“And the Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come!’ And let him who hears say, ‘Come!’ And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.” —Revelation 22:17

Are you thirsty? Then come. Let him who hears come. And whosoever will, can come.

The invitation is to you—to me—to “whosoever will”—to everyone!

Bring your disappointments, failures, fears, and heartaches. The Holy Spirit says, Come to Jesus, our Savior.

God loves you. He wants to save you. He will save you. Come to Jesus, and drink the water of life freely.

Christ suffered, He bled, He died because He loves you and me. Listen to the still voice of the Holy Spirit, bidding you come to Jesus.

Don’t wait—come today! The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 6:2 today is the day of salvation.

The Ends of the Earth

Look to Me, and be saved, All you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other. —Isaiah 45:22

All you ends of the earth” includes the Aboriginal people of the Central Australian desert.

All you ends of the earth” are those in darkest Africa.

All you ends of the earth” are the isolated tribes in the Amazon rainforest in Brazil.

All you ends of the earth” are presidents, world leaders, and kings.

All you ends of the earth” is the polished lawyer, the gifted doctor, and the brilliant college professor.

All you ends of the earth” is the prostitute. It is the drug dealer. It is the rapist. It is the thief. It is the murderer.

All the ends of the earth is me—and you. Come today!

Why a Bronze Serpent

“So Moses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole; and so it was if a serpent had bitten anyone when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived. —Numbers 21:19

Bronze represents judgment. The serpent is destructive, deceptive, and the most dangerous creature you will ever encounter. He is our adversary and the father of all lies. His name is Satan.

He does not appear with horns, a red cape, and an ugly face. Instead, he appears as an angel of light and says, what harm can what I offer do? No one will know. No one will be hurt.

It’s your body. You are in control. You can be your own god. You can be like god. No one can tell you what you can and can’t do. He is Satan, and he comes to destroy God’s most cherished and loved creation: You.

The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. —John 10:10

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Satan transforms himself into an angel of light. “Take a little cocaine,” Satan whispers. “It will make you feel good. No one will know. You’re not hurting anyone.”

The Greek term pharmakeia, in the Bible, is the root of the word “pharmacy,” in English. Pharmakeia is used in the New Testament (Galatians 5:20; Revelation 9:21; 18:23) to describe sorcery, witchcraft, and drug-related magic.

Jesus says, He has come that we may have life and have it more abundantly. Choose an abundant life in Jesus today.

You don’t need hangouts, hangups, or hangovers. You need a personal relationship with the Lord of Creation, who created the Universe and you. Jesus is His name.

In that relationship lies your future, your blessed Hope, your salvation, and your joy. And your Christ blood bought destiny. Choose your destiny today. It has already been paid for with Jesus’s blood on the cross of Calvary. But you must accept God’s free gift of eternal life. That is done through faith in Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection.

“For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.” —2 Corinthians 11:14

You and I have been bitten by sin, like the Israelite’s who followed Moses out of Egyptian bondage.

The Israelites had to choose whether to put their faith in God. It was a simple act of faith, but a life-or-death decision. We too face such a choice.

Those who looked lived.
Those who looked were healed.
Those who looked were made whole.
Those who looked were saved.
They didn’t wait until they were better people.
They didn’t have to touch it.
They just looked.

Jesus tells us in John 3:14-15 that this is a picture of Him being lifted up on the Cross of Calvary.

And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. —John 3:14-15

The bronze serpent represented the people’s sin. According to the Scriptures, Christ was made sin for us.

Will you look to Jesus?—will you put your trust in Him?—the One who died for your sins.

Will you put your faith in Jesus?—the One who shed His lifeblood for you—and me.

My son Aaron Willis’s Automobile Accident

Some years ago, my eldest son, Aaron, was in an automobile accident. His back was broken so severely that the doctors said he might not ever walk again.

Several vertebrae in his lower back were fused. After that, he was able to begin the long task of healing from the spinal fusion surgery. He was encased in a rigid plastic back brace from his neck to his waist.

Later, his doctor agreed to let him briefly remove the brace and shower as long as someone was with him.

I was driving to pick Aaron and his brothers up for the weekend. Unbeknownst to me, his brother Josh helped him remove the brace as instructed by the doctor. Aaron could take a hot shower in his shorts. Josh was with him, but was much smaller than Aaron at that time. Aaron’s doctor approved all of this.

I began to exit to stop at the Austin post office on St. Johns, off Interstate 35, when a small but clear voice said, “You need to go now.”

I passed the post office exit. I drove as fast as possible to Wimberley, an hour away. I wondered what that warning was about.

There were no cell phones then. As I entered their mother’s home, I asked his mother where Aaron was. She said in the shower.

I ran to it, and the moment I entered the bathroom, Aaron said, “Dad, I’m dizzy.”

I stepped into the shower and placed my arms under his arms from his back. He immediately passed out.

I told Josh to help me move him to a bed while their mother called 911. His dead weight was more than I could have imagined.

We got him onto his bed without re-injuring his back. I knew if he had fallen, he probably would have been paralyzed.

I prayed as I followed the ambulance to the emergency room at Austin’s Seton Medical Center. I noticed the symbol on the back of the ambulance.

It was the American Medical Association’s (AMA) logo of a serpent wrapped around a staff.

The sign of healing medicine reminded me of the bronze serpent on the staff lifted up by Moses. Christians believe that’s where the symbol originated.

But, more importantly, it reminded me of Jesus being lifted up on a cross for my son. God’s son suffered in place of my son.

To this day, I cannot see that symbol without giving thanks to the Lord for that warning. I remember the shed blood of Christ lifted high upon a cross. It was for my sins, your sins, and the entire world’s sins.

When we arrived at the hospital’s emergency room, the doctors gave him intravenous (IV) fluids. They also gave him two bottles of Gatorade for dehydration.

The hot shower, combined with pain medication and dehydration, caused his blood to rush to his feet. This resulted in him fainting.

Look

Will you look to the One lifted up on a cross for you and me? Will you look to the Great Physician—Jesus—to heal you of all your pain, emptiness, and disappointments?

Will you look to Jesus? He took your place on the cross and died for your sins. Through Him alone, you can be made new, whole, and born again.

Choose

Jesus hung between two thieves (criminals) on a cross. One rejected Him, but the other put his faith in Him.

“Will You remember me when You enter Your kingdom?” one thief asks.

Jesus replied, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.” (Luke 23:43)

Both of those men were guilty of crimes serious enough to warrant the Roman death penalty. One put his trust in Jesus, and the other chose not to.

The question is, which thief on the cross are you? The one who said yes or the one who said no?

Now, there was the third cross that day. It was for another criminal named Barabbas, and he represents us.

Jesus was crucified on a cross meant for Barabbas—it was your cross—it was my cross, too.

Come

Come just as you are.

Will you say yes to Jesus—today?

There’s a Scripture that I love, and it explains things so clearly even I can understand.

If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart, man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth, confession is made unto salvation. —Romans 10:9-10

You can settle this question in heaven and on earth today. Say yes to Jesus. Accept His pardon, just as that one thief did on the cross. There are no prescriptive or mandated words. Praying is just talking to the Lord.

Open

Jesus said, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.” — Revelation 3:20

Ask

Self-improvement will not qualify you for salvation, for God’s Word says, “There is none righteous, no, not one.” (Romans 3:10)

Comparing yourself to others will not work either: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23)

We seek to commend ourselves to God. However, God says our good works are like filthy rags in His sight [Isaiah 64:6]. If we are ever accepted in the eyes of Holy God, it must be through Christ our Lord.

There is no other way for says in Habakkuk 1:13, “You are of purer eyes than to behold evil, And cannot look on wickedness.”

If you could be good enough to pay for your sins, think about this. Why did Jesus have to die for you?

Jesus bore your cross and my cross. He took our place on the cross. He shed His blood for our sins on that cross high on a hill for all the world to see.

The Just for the unjust. The Righteous for the unrighteous. The Godly for the ungodly The sinless Lamb of God for the sinner.

According to the Bible, we all have feet of clay and fall short of God’s glory. Our righteousness is described in the Bible as filthy rags. God’s grace (his undeserved favor) is available to us all. However, we must accept His gift of forgiveness. This gift was bought and paid for on the cross with Jesus Christ’s lifeblood. You can say yes to Jesus’s free gift right now.

Our greatest need is forgiveness. Christ came to forgive us, but we must accept that free gift. Jesus said in Revelation 3:20:

Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. —Revelation 3:20

Jesus knocks, but you must open the door to your heart, to your life, to your future.

It’s not a prescribed list of words. In Luke 23:42, one of the criminals crucified with Jesus pleads, “Lord, remember me when You come into your kingdom. His heartfelt cry of faith from the cross saves him.

Jesus answers in the next verse with a promise. He says, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.” The first person to accompany Christ to Heaven was this lowly thief on the cross.

Isn’t it time to decide which “thief” on the cross you are? Are you the one who put his faith in Jesus Christ? Or are you the one who rejected our Savior who gave His lifeblood for us?

The most famous 25 words ever written:

For God so loved the world. He gave His only begotten Son. Whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. —John 3:16

✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯

If these words are how you feel in your heart, then pray:

Heavenly Father,

I pray to You, asking for the forgiveness of my sins.

I confess with my mouth. I believe with my heart that Jesus is Your Son. He died on the cross at Calvary so that I might be forgiven.

Father, I believe that Jesus rose from the dead. I ask Jesus to come into my life as my personal Lord and Savior.

I turn from my sins and will surrender to your will throughout my life.

Your word is truth. I confess with my mouth that I am born again. I am cleansed by the blood of Jesus!

In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen!

Reach out and touch Him today!

For she said to herself, “If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well. —Matthew 9:21

Epilogue

I was headed to Temple Baptist Church with Grandma, and my owner’s manual: the Bible. It was Grandma Lillie Hanks Willis who first poured Jesus into me; sometimes, she even used words. That’s my dog Pedro wanting to follow me.

We attended Temple Baptist Church in Clute, Texas, every Sunday morning, Sunday night, and Wednesday night. It seemed that everyone attended church in those days.

On a Wednesday night, my mother could not attend church. I walked to church from our home at 519 Coleman Street. My twelve-year-old sister Marjorie accompanied me. I was only eight.

I had no intention of that night being any different from any other. I cannot recall a word Pastor Bill Campbell said in his sermon. But I remember vividly another voice that spoke to my mind—my heart—my spirit.

It was not an audible voice. It was a still, gentle voice, tender but ever so clear, telling me to go forward and accept Christ as my Savior.

I recall my response to the Holy Spirit as if it were five minutes ago: “Lord, I am too shy. I would if my mother were here to go with me.”

I felt someone touch my left shoulder. My sister Marjorie was sitting in the back row with her friends. She could not see my face, for I was seated near the front.

She said, “I’ll go with you if you want me to.” I immediately stood and walked with her to the front of the church and made my decision public.

I know you do not have to have an experience like that to be born again. Nevertheless, I am grateful for that experience; it has never left my mind or my heart.