By Lynna Clark

One of the greatest treasures during this time of grief has been former students sending words of comfort. One student wrote a long letter describing a happy memory in David’s Bible class. I will treasure it forever. She used phrases like, “gentle, quiet, and fatherly smile” to describe him. I don’t know how things work in Heaven, but I hope he got to hear those beautiful words about his time as a teacher. Sometimes he wondered if his twenty years in the classroom meant anything at all. This beautiful note would confirm that his time mentoring was not for nothing. I also got a text from our niece who was one of his students. Here’s her recollection:

“Here I am, off to fight it out with ornery people in court again. You know Uncle David told me in 6th grade that God would use my argumentativeness for good… one day. But he said it wasn’t now. In other words, I needed to shut up.”

This child was so driven to make good grades that she was probably explaining to him something he didn’t want to hear about a test score or such. But he was right. All that determination came in handy as she is now a lawyer, championing the rights of the elderly. However, while she was in his classroom, he wasn’t having it.

I think the sweetest compliment I heard was during our “Funeral Party.” A young lady hugged me with tears in her eyes as she whispered. “He gave me so much grace.”

May the same be said of us all.

“He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths bring honor to His Name.” -Psalm 23:3

Us as chaperones at one of the Junior/Senior Proms.