Ted’s passing on June 5th into the presence of his Saviour was an immense reward for him, but brought shock and sadness to all those who knew and loved him. As his dear wife Mary told me of his passing, the memories of our friendship that had grown since I first met him in 2010, came with so many tears of my loss and his gain.
I first met Ted when Pastor Don Brubacher introduced him to the Fresh Encounters bible study class he had formed and was teaching at Riverside church.
We were a large group of believers who were eager to delve deeper into the bible as Ted walked past us all with his long ponytail, and plopped himself down beside me. I was immediately drawn to this unusual man with questions that had us all looking at the bible in a way that before now would never have entered our minds. I don’t know of one person – and it was a large group of adults for a Wednesday morning, that didn’t learn from Ted’s thought provoking queries.
Pastor Don kept us all tuned in to scripture and what God was teaching us as we considered all the questions that were brought forth. He kept us focused on the biblical answers which kindled in us a hunger to know more about its truths. A hunger that Ted was also seeking that had led him to Riverside. The Lord was doing a works in all of us with the help of Pastor Don and this strange man He had put in our midst.
Shortly after joining Fresh Encounters, Ted began coming to church and a short time after that, his wife Mary began attending Sunday services. They soon were immersed in lending a helping hand wherever they could in so many different ways with their joyful and enthusiastic attitudes.
Mary was excellent at computers and electronics and was usually involved at the back of the sanctuary with the projectors and all that goes on with getting sight and sound on the screen and with the musical instruments and voices through the speakers.
Ted on the other hand loved music and was soon involved at the other end of the room in playing the drums, guitar and singing. He had a very good voice and we enjoyed his many songs and instumentals. I got to know him better while I was on the worship team where he often kept us in laughter with his dry sense of humor and with his drum rolls.
It wasn’t long before I found out that Ted was a writer and a poet and so I asked him if he would write for my monthly EncouraGem. He heartily agreed which pleased me no end as my aim was to have a man’s point of view along with a woman’s view of what we were all learning from God in often very different perspectives.
With Ted’s writings, once in awhile I suggested he temper or re-phrase a few of his points that might be a little more tailored to the congregates. He always did so with a willing heart and respect for what I wanted EncouraGem to show and teach about Jesus. My own writings grew immensely by Ted’s suggestions and he often had me in gales of laughter with his ‘Ted Only’ sense of humour.
Ted’s writings always revealed his passion to help the downtrodden and he found it hard to understand why God would allow such terrible things to happen to ‘good’ people. He was learning to put his faith completely in God for the answers, as we all continue to do to mature.
Ted’s love and devotion to Mary was an inspiration to all around him. He often boasted of her accomplishments and those of his children and grandchildren. Ted also wrote articles on many he came to know in the church who had affected him in some way, giving us a picture we often weren’t privy to understand or see on our own.
I have included a couple of Ted’s articles this month that will give you some perspective as he traveled life’s journey with Jesus. How it blessed him in ways he never would have known or understood before his conversion. My hope is to put more of Ted’s articles and poems over the next few months of EncouraGem’s, that will bring you insight into his unique way of thinking outside of the box.
This month I included his thoughts about heaven in “I don’t Care About Heaven” along with his poem “If I Could Pray” (The Desire of the Newly Converted).
I remember this man who in an article referring to himself wrote – “God has a Sense of Humour” which I hope to use at another time.
Rest in peace my dear friend as now your cup runneth over as you see Jesus face to face!
