It is with deep sadness and great rejoicing that we say goodbye to Terry Polston. What an incredible love he had for children and the impact he had through the DARE program.
Terry had a great influence on me (as well as Mary). Back in the early '90s, I attended Winona Lake Free Methodist Church and was in a small group with them. I had to leave the ministry and was struggling to keep my marriage together. I came to the point of giving up on God, faith and church altogether.
One night at small group, Terry began to talk about how concerned he was in going into this new venture for him in the DARE program. (It seems incredible now that he doubted he could make a difference.) We held hands and prayed that God would use him. I started to cry and Terry held on to me. I finally told him that God had given up on me. He took his big arms and wrapped them around me and said, "God doesn't give up on anyone. Keep the faith, brother." We cried together and he reminded me how greatly God loves us. Mary said we looked like two walruses sobbing.
Many times when we saw each other after that we would hug and ask, "Keeping the faith?" Then we would laugh.
God opened doors for me a few years later that seemed impossible. Terry's doubts quickly faded as God used him through DARE. The last time I saw Terry was a couple of Sundays ago at WCC and we went through our ritual. He looked tired but there was that sparkle in his eye. The two walruses hugged and asked the question one more time, then we laughed.
When I heard that he had been "promoted to glory," tears streamed down my face. I whispered, "Keeping the faith?" I then smiled because I knew that heaven is richer with Terry there. (The laughter is a little louder, too.) I know that he came before His Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, to hear, "Well done, good and faithful servant."
Thank you, OP, for being a friend and person of great character to so many. Thanks for always reminding me to keep the faith. I will miss you, but know that because of the grace of God through Jesus Christ I will see you again some day. My thoughts and prayers go out to Mary and the Polston family.
