Many will say that they are loyal friends,
but who can find one who is truly reliable?
Proverbs 20:6
Jackie and I were leaving town last Friday and I stopped by the Evergreen hospice to say goodbye to Nick Collins. He woke up and Nick, Marilyn, Holly and I laughed and remembered some wonderful stories. When it was time to go, instead of saying goodbye I said, “I love you Nick.” He replied with a smile, “Tell Jackie that we love you guys too.”
Twenty-three years ago, the Collins family was going through a challenging time and they decided to go to church. They looked in the phonebook for a church and we were not listed, but as they drove by Lake Washington High School they decided to give Washington Cathedral a try. It was not very long before each of them had given their heart to the Lord Jesus Christ and we had become life-long friends. They held a Tiny Little Church at their house and Jackie was the leader (so that makes me an official ex-member). Who knows how many potluck dinners weenjoyed together or how many laughs we shared when someone would visit the TLC for the first time and sit on their couch and when it broke they’d let out a swear-word and everyone laughed so hard that they couldn't stand up. Only God counted the times that Nick and Marilyn were the last to leave the church after helping us clean-up lateon a Sunday afternoon.
We raised our kids together and Becca called Marilyn's mom grandma. We sat in the stands together to watch Holly become one of the best soccer players ever to come out of this area. Melody excelled at everything she did and our whole church was very proud of her. For years Nick took care of the animals for Christmas in his yard. They would wake up on Christmas to the sounds of donkeys, cattle, horses and sheep all in residential Redmond. They taught Sunday school for years and years and I can’t tell you how many children grew up in our church and found their faith through their ministry. I attended one of their children’s TLC groups and they had me sit in as a leader of a small group. The discussion question was: What do you like about kid’s TLCs? One girl shared, “Well, my mom left me with a step-dad when I was born. My step-dad has left me with some of his family members. They really don’t like me and I don’t fit in at all so TLC is my family.” I don’t know how many Kids Camps Jackie and Nick and Marilyn weathered together and came back just completely exhausted. I am sure there were many times that they had theopportunity to just drift away when someone left the church that they were attached to or when we were going through a rough time. But I never, in all my life, heard any criticism from Nick and Marilyn.
When Nick went through his liver transplant, many years ago, I waited for hours with the family praying for Nick.I was so touched watching him kiss his family as he headed in for the surgery. Marilyn kept telling me I could go, but I couldn’t leave because I knew my heart would be there praying anyway. Recently, before Nick died, he toldeveryone thank you and how much he loved them. His eyes twinkled with joy and sincerity.
When I was 17 years old and God gave me the dream to build a great church for unchurched people that would be a great caring network. I asked for a sign. I felt like God told me that he would raise up “knights in shining armor” to stand by my side and fight alongside me until the death. I am never surprised by the flighty nature of most human beings, but I have been utterly amazed at those rare people like Nick and Marilyn Collins who would not give up on me and the dream. I would have given up a long time ago if it had not been for people like them. It is awkward today for one man to say to another a simple – I love you. But for so many of us who have staked our lives on the dream of Washington Cathedral (to build the greatest caring network the world has ever seen) there is nothing else that can be said. The Bible predicted it when it said, “This is the message you have heard from the beginning: We should love one another.” 1 John 3:11. And how Nick loved his family and his church. And in return we could not help but love him.
Your friend for the rest of my life,
Twenty-three years ago, the Collins family was going through a challenging time and they decided to go to church. They looked in the phonebook for a church and we were not listed, but as they drove by Lake Washington High School they decided to give Washington Cathedral a try. It was not very long before each of them had given their heart to the Lord Jesus Christ and we had become life-long friends. They held a Tiny Little Church at their house and Jackie was the leader (so that makes me an official ex-member). Who knows how many potluck dinners weenjoyed together or how many laughs we shared when someone would visit the TLC for the first time and sit on their couch and when it broke they’d let out a swear-word and everyone laughed so hard that they couldn't stand up. Only God counted the times that Nick and Marilyn were the last to leave the church after helping us clean-up lateon a Sunday afternoon.
We raised our kids together and Becca called Marilyn's mom grandma. We sat in the stands together to watch Holly become one of the best soccer players ever to come out of this area. Melody excelled at everything she did and our whole church was very proud of her. For years Nick took care of the animals for Christmas in his yard. They would wake up on Christmas to the sounds of donkeys, cattle, horses and sheep all in residential Redmond. They taught Sunday school for years and years and I can’t tell you how many children grew up in our church and found their faith through their ministry. I attended one of their children’s TLC groups and they had me sit in as a leader of a small group. The discussion question was: What do you like about kid’s TLCs? One girl shared, “Well, my mom left me with a step-dad when I was born. My step-dad has left me with some of his family members. They really don’t like me and I don’t fit in at all so TLC is my family.” I don’t know how many Kids Camps Jackie and Nick and Marilyn weathered together and came back just completely exhausted. I am sure there were many times that they had theopportunity to just drift away when someone left the church that they were attached to or when we were going through a rough time. But I never, in all my life, heard any criticism from Nick and Marilyn.
When Nick went through his liver transplant, many years ago, I waited for hours with the family praying for Nick.I was so touched watching him kiss his family as he headed in for the surgery. Marilyn kept telling me I could go, but I couldn’t leave because I knew my heart would be there praying anyway. Recently, before Nick died, he toldeveryone thank you and how much he loved them. His eyes twinkled with joy and sincerity.
When I was 17 years old and God gave me the dream to build a great church for unchurched people that would be a great caring network. I asked for a sign. I felt like God told me that he would raise up “knights in shining armor” to stand by my side and fight alongside me until the death. I am never surprised by the flighty nature of most human beings, but I have been utterly amazed at those rare people like Nick and Marilyn Collins who would not give up on me and the dream. I would have given up a long time ago if it had not been for people like them. It is awkward today for one man to say to another a simple – I love you. But for so many of us who have staked our lives on the dream of Washington Cathedral (to build the greatest caring network the world has ever seen) there is nothing else that can be said. The Bible predicted it when it said, “This is the message you have heard from the beginning: We should love one another.” 1 John 3:11. And how Nick loved his family and his church. And in return we could not help but love him.
Your friend for the rest of my life,
Pastor Tim White
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