Tim Nash

Not sure that I'm ready to share all of this, and honestly, my thoughts aren't collected, but here goes...

This has been an incredibly tough week for so many people I know and love. On Tuesday afternoon we lost an incredible Christian man from this life - Tim Nash. Tim was a lot of things to a lot of people - a good husband, a good father, a good brother, a good son, a good friend, and a good business man. He was also an incredibly good servant of the Lord Jesus Christ.

I am privileged enough to say that Tim was a good friend, a very close friend. I have so many great memories of him - my mind has been flooded over the past several days of all of our times together. It has been mentioned so many times that Tim did the jobs no one else wanted to do. Brooke and I have moved several times over the past few years - and guess who the first one was to always show up and help - even if he did scratch our dining room table on a door one time. Brooke forgave him for that one.

There were the numerous times we sat beside each other in class on Sunday morning or Sunday night. He was probably trying to pay attention, and I'd lean over and try to be funny. He would just grin - even if my comment wasn't funny.

There were the times over the past several years we've planned our Baja trips together. Tim and Ben and I always seemed to end up as roomies. And when we'd get there, Tim did the jobs no one else wanted to do. Two years ago Tim and I got to be roofers...we really screwed that one up. We got half way done with one side before we were told to start over. Thankfully Rex let us stay up there. As we were about to begin, Ryan Cagle was there to tie us off from slipping off the tin roof. As he tied us off, I remember Tim telling everyone not to tell Kacey that he was up there. She probably wouldn't have been thrilled.

I remember our trip to Baja this past spring when Tim volunteered to run all of the children's activities (even when Kacey couldn't make the trip at the last minute). He pulled it off without complaint. As he and I taught one of the children's lessons, I made him "play" the role of Jesus when the children came to him. Believe me when I say that Tim didn't need any acting lessons - he was a perfect fit. After returning from the trip, Tim sent me an email letting me know how well he thought the trip had gone - I emailed him back to thank him for all of his efforts and his servant attitude. I wrote..."I look forward to many more trips together." My heart aches to know that I won't be his sidekick in the future.

I remember how he loved the church...he spent so many hours in serving others of our church. Only God (and Kacey) know the time, energy, and money he sunk into other people's lives. He did it without flare, without pomp and circumstance...only with gentleness and humility.

I remember the times that we studied and prayed together. We had a small guys group that met together over this past year to encourage one another and pray for each other. I'll never share some of the things that were shared amongst that group, but I know where Tim's heart was - and he was constantly striving to be exactly what God called him to be. Tim was a trusted friend and confidant, the kind that don't come along very often. If I'm candid, I guess I secretly hoped that our group would one day be serving the church as Shepherds together. Tim was living it out each day.

I remember his one liners, his quick wit, and his ridiculously funny emails the morning after something humourous happened.

I remember how much he loved Kacey and the girls. He worked hard to make his marriage and family strong. That legacy will be carried out for generations to come.

Tim's legacy will carry on long after this week of events is over. His love for God, family, and others is something for us all to emulate. And as we look upon our own lives and how we can become better, Tim wouldn't want us to model him. He would tell us to model his Perfect Savior, for that's what Tim did each and every day.