My daddy, Adrian Rogers, was one of the greatest preachers of the 20th century, but that wasn’t the most important thing in his life. When his first child, Steve, was born, Daddy said, “I got on my knees and prayed, ‘Lord, if I never preach a great sermon, if I’m never successful as a pastor, oh, God, I want to be a godly daddy.’” He continued, “And I will tell you one thing: There’s one thing that all of my children know. They know I love Jesus, and they known I’m not a phony.”
This November marks 20 years since Adrian Rogers graduated to glory. In an age when many ministers have fallen, my father loved Jesus from the time he gave his heart to Him as a teenage boy until the day he drew his final breath. For me, though I loved and admired my daddy, there was still a strong will inside me that wasn’t broken until the last half of my life.
About three years ago, I was pondering Deuteronomy 11:24, where it promises that when the children of Israel conquered the promised land, every place they put their foot would be theirs. As I drove past the cemetery where Daddy is buried, the Holy Spirit led me to turn around and go to the grave site. I sat on a bench next to his headstone and said aloud, “Daddy, I know you are not here. I’m not talking to you. I’m talking to God about you. And I am asking God to answer every prayer you ever prayed for me. I’m asking Him to activate those prayers today. Today I’m asking for your mantle. Today I’m taking your baton.” Then I walked every square inch of that grave, carefully putting my foot on each blade of grass and claiming the same power of God that inhabited my daddy for my own life.
That day God did something new in me. He gave me a fresh anointing. My father’s last wish was for me to write a book with him. I can no longer do it with him, but I have completed a new devotional published by B&H Publishing Group, entitled In His Footsteps. It is filled with 90 raw and transparent truths given to me by the Holy Spirit. In tribute to my father, I have included a quote lovingly referred to as an “Adrianism” at the end of each devotional. I am in awe of what God has done for me in the second half of my life.
It isn’t too late for God to do something in you, as well. Psalm 90 says: “Our lives last seventy years or, if we are strong, eighty years. … Teach us to number our days carefully so that we may develop wisdom in our hearts. … Satisfy us in the morning with your faithful love so that we may shout with joy and be glad all our days. Make us rejoice for as many days as you have humbled us, for as many years as we have seen adversity” (vv. 10,12,14-15).
My mind wanders to a basketball game last year. After 50 years of loving the University of Memphis, I was tempted to say, “I am through with you, Memphis Tigers.” They played the worst first half of basketball I’ve ever seen, missing
what felt like dozens of layups. I don’t know what happened at halftime, but they played what I think was the best second half of basketball I have ever seen. They won by a landslide! In the same game, the worst first half was followed by the best second half. That can be your story. It’s never too late!
Recently, God spoke to my heart, “Gayle, I’ve been dumping ingredients into you like you’re a Crock-Pot. You think they were a mistake, but they were a seasoning. Your prime hasn’t passed; you aren’t too old; you are just now ready to serve. It’s finally time. Call everyone to dinner.”
Gayle Rogers Foster is available to speak at your women’s events. She has published two books, Front Porch Moments by LWF Ministries and In His Footsteps by B&H Publishing Group. Contact her at [email protected].
In His Footsteps
In this 90-day devotional, spend daily moments with Jesus as Gayle Rogers Foster — daughter of the late and famous preacher Adrian Rogers — reflects on key passages of Scripture and weaves in insightful quotes from the journal of her father. If you’re looking for a daily moment with Jesus that encourages, challenges, and uplifts, pour a cup of tea and pull up a chair to In His Footsteps. Visit Gayle’s website at thinkonthesethings.org.
