BRAD QUICK IS RIP

It is a phrase that people often use, as though they are speaking to the one who has just died: Rest In Peace (RIP); or "may he rest in peace." I have often wondered what that is supposed to mean. It seems to me that it really means nothing, since the body is now lifeless. However, the only ones that this phrase really fits are followers of Jesus Christ, to whom God has promised eternal life in Heaven: "to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord." So, I can, with great confidence say that: Brad Quick is resting in peace, because He is now "home", with His Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He has no more pain, no struggle, no sin. He is at peace.

Brad was the pastor of First Baptist Church in Elyria, Oh; and since I pastor in a nearby town, I had the privilege of getting to know him over the past 6 years. We are in the same local association of churches. I have had a hard time finding older pastors who would be willing to share their wisdom and life in mentoring me. Brad met with me several times over these years, and when I asked him to officially mentor me, I know he would have except that he was caring for his wife in her health problems and struggling through his own cancer. I was very grateful for the times he did spend with me and for his willingness to invest in a small church pastor like me.

He encouraged me in many ways, including talking about some of the experiences he has had in his larger church that sounded familiar to my experiences in a smaller one. Most pastors would admit going through the same basic challenges in ministry, but not all of them would take the time or effort to share them with me, in order to challenge and encourage my heart. Brad Quick did that, and I am certainly grateful.

Brad Quick is resting in peace, and we can be at peace knowing that God took him in just the right time and in just the right way, according to God's purposes. For those of us who loved Brad and remain, we can focus on Philippians 4:6,7 -"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God. And the PEACE OF GOD, which surpasses [human] understanding, will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."