I lost a dear friend of mine recently and earlier this week I had the distinct honor to conduct his celebration of life service. Dale and I were friendly competitors, then became friends and, finally, great friends. He passed away the day after his 95th birthday and it was time to fulfill a promise I made to him years ago – to preside at his service. After 30 years or so of friendship, I knew him about as well as one friend could know another.
Dale was one of those rare individuals who had character traits that I truly admire. He was the most humble man I ever met, and attributed that trait to having had “great parents.” They taught him that there was enough to go around and competition wasn’t something that he should participate it. Dale didn’t take credit for successes – he preferred to stay in the background and give the credit to others.
My major work with him was in the field of career transition and job loss. He helped our ministry, Chaplains at Work, as a resource assisting folks who had lost their jobs, were moving or changing careers – usually having trouble navigating all the obstacles that a family encounters when trapped in such a dilemma.
He was a devout Christian and was the epitome of what Christ would want to see in his followers. He gave of his time, talent and treasures at every turn and became totally invested in the lives of folks that he was trying to help. I have seen him weep with gratitude when a job search was successful and have also seen him grieve the loss of a job for someone who was struggling. Simply put, he was a great guy, working almost up until the time that he passed on.
Dale was also the founder of the most successful job assistance program in Indianapolis – the Business and Professional Exchange (BPE). Years later, he joined our ministry based team and gave selflessly of himself for many years. In fact, whenever one of our job seekers found work, Dale encouraged them to return the next week and provide words of encouragement for those still in the throes of their search for a new career. It became a tradition for people to return with a box of donuts as part of the celebration. We laid hands on them and prayed for them as they left our group to experience a new corporate life. Of course, the door was always open for their return to the group, should that ever be necessary.
One of the hallmarks of our encouragement were several biblical truths that we have come to believe. First, God doesn’t waste anything and, second, you don’t get moved on to another divine assignment until you have learned whatever the Lord would have you learn at your current assignment. It’s important to know that every place we work teaches us something that will be useful later in life. Also, even the less desirable things have value, as God uses all our experiences to prepare us for the future.
Dale put his trust in the Lord, always. He wholeheartedly believed what we are told in Colossians 3:23-24. Paul, in this book, tells us, “Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.” This gives us an entirely different point of view on how to see our work lives.
While this could be our verse for tonight, I have chosen another passage of Scripture. During the first century, around 63 A.D., Christians were being persecuted and Peter gathered his group of followers together. He shared that some of them would suffer and others would pray for and walk beside those who would be on the front lines. He admonished them to work together, to be of one mind – to be unified. Peter tells us, in 1 Peter 3:8-9, “Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.”
This verse describes Dale. He lived in harmony, loved everyone, was humble, considering others as better than himself and most of all, he was sympathetic. This word, from the Greek, means that we should be of the same “pathos” – think DNA. When one of us hurts, as brothers and sisters in Christ, we should all hurt and, conversely, when one of us celebrates, we should all celebrate in unity! Dale lived this lifestyle.
My encouragement this evening is that God wants us to live in harmony and be sympathetic to one another. Clearly, in our world today, it is difficult to bridge the gaps between people groups. My prayer is that we will all stop and consider the consequences of living a God centered life. Dale certainly knew what this entailed.
I closed Dale’s celebration of life with an announcement that this was Dale’s last meeting – after decades of working with others, he has finally been promoted to another assignment – in heaven! His family, in remembrance of Dale, served donuts in honor of his last “meeting.” Dale would have loved it. Have a great day in the Lord, grace and peace…