While it doesn’t get the attention All Hallow’s Eve (Halloween) gets, All Saints Day is a day on the Christian calendar that carries great significance even for those of us who don’t practice Catholicism. I will be officially recognizing All Saints Day at my church this Sunday as we pay tribute to the brothers and sisters in our congregation who have gone on to be with the Lord in the past year. But today I’m thinking about the people who have impacted my life and walk with Christ over the years.
Two people I met at Delanco Camp are among the names that come to mind.
The first was a fellow camper and baseball lover who, hard to believe, has been gone now almost as long as he was with us. Many of you know the Hallahan family well because Josh and Dave have been heavily involved in programming at camp in the past decade. I knew Josh, Dave and Mark as Dustin’s little brothers, which is strange to think of now considering Dustin was 16 when he went home to be with the Lord. My memories of Dustin have faded over the years much as the memories of many of my fellow campers, but I will never forget the way he rejoiced in the Lord in his illness knowing that God would use him mightily even in death. I am one of many many people who God used Dustin to reach and while we weren’t close friends (two years is quite the age gap when you’re a teenager), his courage, his strength and his faith inspired me in ways I never had the chance to share with him personally. I can’t walk on the grounds of camp without thinking of Dustin and thanking God .
The second was a name you might recognize from the offerings we take during the summer for the scholarship fund in his memory. Tim Bock was a staff member when I was a camper and was about as genuinely unique of a person you will ever meet. My first introduction to Tim was during Camp Meeting when he was teaching a class in the lounge and showed us all photos from his motorcycle accident. Not of the accident, but of all the scabs, bruises, cuts and scrapes he sustained. Tim was kind of like the Steve Martin of Delanco Camp. He had a dry sense of humor and was known for doing his “Boy born with a megaphone for a mouth” skit during talent shows. Tim continues to have a huge impact on my life and my older brother Mike because he paved the way so many years ago and set an example of how you can be creative, original and unique and use those things to glorify God.
What “saints” from Delanco Camp are you remembering and thanking God for today?
Katey Bartie. I’m grateful for the fact that she’s still here.
Wow, Matt. I was just poking around on the computer and came across this blog entry. As you know,I was very close with Dustin. I still think of him often, and pray that my children will grow to love the Lord as he did. And Tim working with our youth group brings back many memories. Never could quite figure him out, but he certainly had a heart for God. Thanks for bringing these guys to my heart and mind today.
Thanks, Matt for posting the picture of Tim. I attended Asbury University with Tim and miss him terribly. I miss his dry humor and his music. I still have the cassette tapes he made for me and fortunately my old car has a cassette player! I am envisioning him now using the shoulder stap (seat belt) to play air guitar in the car! Can’t wait to see Tim again someday.