"Precious In the Sight of the Lord"

Tomorrow we will go to a funeral for a man with whom I taught (right across the hall) for five years. That short sentence says so little about Pastor Jack Dean. When he took the Bible position at our school, I think more than a few of us wondered, not knowing him at all, if he would do OK - after all, he was in his late 60s at the time, and high schoolers can have a lot of fire and highjinks. We needn't have worried. Pastor Dean could hold his own and then some. He couldn't work a computer at all. (I know - I bailed him out many times.) But he could greatly impact the lives of young people.

Those former students have been all over Facebook the past few days, repeating the many things he taught them - the most common of which was "God is real, young people." He told me many times how he really wanted them to get that message if they didn't get anything else.

He made them presents in his woodworking shop. He had them to his home for parties. Imagine! Thirty high schoolers from one Bible class (a particularly rambunctious group - our son was one of the ringleaders), and they all showed up because nobody wanted to miss a party at the Deans' home. (His wife is a saint.) He prayed for them. He loved them.

Pastor and Mrs. Dean have prayed, every morning, for our own two for a number of years. That means more to me than anything.

A week ago at this time, Pastor Dean was fine with no overriding health problems. Now he is in heaven. We are a little poorer down here on earth, as a giant example of the faith has gone home. His example will be greatly missed.