Goodbye, Colin

I don't deal well with good-byes. I am convinced I have separation anxiety disorder. All that to say, I want to publicly say goodbye to my friend by sharing with you a few special memories.

I didn't have the opportunity of having Colin Smith as a professor. The first year he came to BBC was my last year and I didn't have room in my schedule, nor the GPA to really hack it. What God did instead, was give me the opportunity of developing a friendship with Colin instead. I wanted to sit under his teaching. I so wanted to take "Courtship Texts of the Old Testament" like many other of my friends. But, I couldn't. I was admittedly jealous. I had no way to get to know this man that so many of my fellow students were raving about. I got to hear him in chapel though and my appetite was whetted. I sat on the edge of my seat when he preached. To this day, I have dozens of Colin Smith messages on my hard drive.

Through my friends Jason Berrus and Matt DeWever, I got to know the Smiths. I got to hang out at the Smith home and play games and just chill with Colin and Anita. It was such a privilege! I remember distinctly when Ben Smith (the oldest of the 5 Smith kids) moved back home to Scranton, PA. Through many late night card games and dinners with Jason, Matt and Alicia, we became great friends and always will be. He called Sunday to tell me that his father passed away. He wanted me to hear it from him, instead of on Facebook. So considerate!

I remember very distinctly going to the Baptist Mid-Missions Campus Bible Fellowship training weekend. Colin and Anita showed up for the closing key-note session and I got to spend an evening with just the two of them. It was so wonderful. (Anita analyzed my handwriting that evening. lol)

Another, even more distinct memory, was September 11th, 2001. I was sitting at my desk up on the 3rd floor of Jackson Hall at BBC. I was the Secretary of Student Activities that year. It was shortly after 9:00am, when I got a call from my friend, Abby Amos, telling me that one the World Trade Towers had just been hit by a plane. I remember it didn't really register. Planes had run into the Trade Towers before. Abby told me I needed to find a TV or radio, which we did. It was then that we watched in horror as the second tower was struck and both towers fell. Somewhere between that point and chapel at 10:00am, a plane hit the Pentagon and another crashed in western PA. Because we were in PA, it felt like the whole world was ending, crumbling down around us. No one knew if the attacks would end or continue all day. Colin Smith was the chapel speaker that day. In the last seconds before he got up on stage, he had to change his whole message to be able to speak directly to our hearts, to be able to help us deal with what was happening to our nation. There wasn't a better person to be in chapel that fateful day. As only he could, he used his vast knowledge of Scripture, chose a fitting passage and restored peace in our hearts. I'll never forget that day, and Colin will always be part of the memories . . . He was always ready, in season and out of season.

I sat in his living room one night until 4:00am just talking to him and asking him questions about life and ministry. He listened and gave insight into what I was going through, preparing to leave everything and everyone I knew and loved to move all the way across the ocean and become a missionary. I thank God now for that opportunity.

So, Colin, I want to take this opportunity to say thank you and goodbye. We love you. We always will. Thanks for everything!