A tribute to Ben Cathey

Our family first met Ben Cathey upon moving here in November 1990. I asked our realtor who was the best local heat/AC service business. Without missing a beat she said, “Call Ben Cathey!” And I did.

Immediately as Ben rang our doorbell and I invited him in, he was all smiles and began immediately sharing the Gospel of Christ Jesus – immediately. And his heart for Christ was so very visible and shone all through the house. I was taken with his faith, expressed simply but with such incredible joy. You do not see joy often to the degree you should. You see, it is joy in Christ that is an attractor of others to our faith and Ben Cathey displayed that joy unspeakably and full of longing, as the Bible states we should show a dying world.

Over the years I watched his faith grow and bloom, and saw many taken with his faith. In fact some two weeks ago, during the time our grandchildren were visiting, we passed Ben in his famous painted truck. All three wanted to know who drove that truck with its many colors, and I shared with them this man’s faith in Christ and how just seeing that truck gave most of us joy and how it drew people to Christ as they got to know its owner and driver. “Cool,” said the kids, “what a shared faith that is,” they exclaimed!

Is one life enough to change the world? Our Christian faith is based on that theory, if you stop and ponder that. So, if I am asked can one life change the world, you know my answer will be Ben Cathey, who loved the Lord so much he wanted his world of Wood County to know Him and shared Him everywhere he went.

Our world lives in a deficit of people like Ben Cathey and others, who like him, show faith with an abundance of joy and lived out grace. So, I always ask God after we lose a person like Ben, “Lord, who will come now to live this out, and what can I do?” And I recommend each of you ponder that awhile. None of us could ever take Ben’s place but we could do a much better job of living out our faith as he did.

In tribute of our dear friend, Ben Cathey, a lover of God in his faith lived for Christ Jesus. We will miss you, our friend.