Who Will Fill His Skates?
Glenn Dix Memorial by Ron Barnes Jr.
The Winter Reaper was nearly complete, except for one article I still needed to write. As I finished my previous article I sensed Grandpa’s (Glenn Dix) time might be short. Within days of writing the article, just as I boarded a plane returning from South Africa to the US, I learned Grandpa was being made comfortable by hospice. I prepared my wife and children before I took off, and learned of his passing as I landed in the US.
While it is incredibly hard losing my biggest cheerleader and hero, our biggest loss will be in how he prayed for me and for our missionaries. No one prayed for us better and more consistently than he could and did. As I spoke September 9th at his memorial service, I shared about a pair of antique ice skates he gave me in college. He once saw the pond at my college in Pennsylvania where in winter many students skated. One year when he visited me he brought his old skates. His feet were easily four sizes bigger than mine, but I would put on thick socks, a few of them, and tighten the laces as tight as I could, but they never did really fit. They were really big skates (shoes) to fill.
When Grandpa passed away he left big skates to fill, a big vacancy in the prayer life in the Mission. Grandpa loved to pray and knew how to pray. He never let an opportunity to pray with someone go. This was repeated over and over in letters, comments, and memories from people around the globe and it was through that concern people grew to love him and sense his love for them. He remembered every detail and made sure to ask about them.
Those who attended the memorial service in Madison received a challenge to pick up where Grandpa left off. I shared that I had discovered that even in retirement, on a missionary salary, Grandpa was our 67th biggest donor to nearly a dozen missionaries. A few came to me to ask how they could pick up that support and I ask you to pray that God would raise up partners for the rest.
But my biggest challenge came in the form of asking for two people to commit to daily prayer for each of our Branches to replace one “prayer warrior.” I set out pieces of paper with the names of the Branches, but some were left over. And so it is to you I appeal to fill the gap left by the passing of my grandfather, Glenn Dix, to pray and support the work of Source of Light. To “continue in prayer” his work, and to “watch with thanksgiving” God’s work.
If you wish to help fill his shoes in prayer or support, you can contact me directly at 706.342.0397, or email me at rbarnes@sourcelight.org.
