Darwin Edwards: A Noble Saint Has Gone Home

In Boise, ID when we stopped to see Darwin Edwards and his dear wife Miriam while on Deputation '09

I had the honor of being Darwin and Miriam Edwards' pastor for 5 years in Phoenix Arizona ('99-'04).  Darwin Edwards was exactly 50 years older than I, yet we were the best of friends.  He and I would spend hours every week in Phoenix knocking on doors, passing out tracts, witnessing of Jesus, and inviting others to church.  Heather and I, and our children loved him dearly.  We prayed together, cried together, talked together, and laughed together.  I began to call him "My Christian Grandpa" for he was like a dear grandpa to our family.  We later had the honor of having him visit us here in Colombia, for he loved missions and he loved us, and what a delightful and precious time we had together!

Noah playing with "Grandpa Edwards" when he came to visit us in Colombia in '06.

At nearly 10:00 Wednesday night while preparing for bed here in Colombia, South America, we received the news that Darwin Edwards had died.  (His obituary is here.)  It is at a time like this when I wish that I were in the USA rather than in South America.  We had always hoped for our whole family to be at his funeral for that was his expressed desire.  So almost immediately after hearing the news last night, I went online to see about buying tickets.  It was logistically and financially impossible this late in the game not just for the whole family, but even for just me alone.  So instead of boarding a flight, I wrote a poem.

Brother Edwards in church in Barrio Corinto, Bogota, Colombia.

Having family altar in Colombia.  It was in this visit when we discovered that we were expecting Elijah.  So "Grandpa Edwards" got the news hot of the press -- he was the first one to know.  He had been praying that we would have a brother for Noah.

If any of you get to heaven before me, tell Brother Edwards that I wanted to tell him goodbye, but I couldn't.  But don't tell him that we said, "goodbye."  Better to tell him that we said, "By God's grace, we'll see you later."

Darwin Edwards with Noah on his second and last Colombia visit in '07.

Goodbyes the last time he visited us in Colombia.  How I miss him.

Written upon hearing of the death of my dear friend and Christian “grandpa”

Darwin Edwards

Pause with me, good men, and weep.

A nobler man than you and me

                                                Has fallen asleep

But by now has wakened up in glory.

Heav’n to me will be more sweet,

A place of which he loved to sing,

                                                Now its King he’ll greet,

My dear friend who is blessed up in glory.

Hush all noise, ye saints, and kneel.

Thank God so good for giving him;

Through our tears we thrill

At the thought of him with God in glory.

Money scarce he gave to save

The needy in the name of Christ. 

Now all that he gave       

He now has, plus much more there in glory.

How he loved so much his wife.

He spoke to all about his girl,

The love of his life.

He awaits her in a place of glory.

         

He often laughed and cried with tears

Whene’er he spoke of his great joy,

His Lord through the years.

And to think he’s with Him, what glory!

“Hear me, all,” I know he’d say,

“Have faith alone in Jesus Christ;

Your sins wash away.

 And do join me in God’s holy glory!”

                                                       - Phillip Dickinson, 8/31/2011