Hello, dear friends and family,
Today, I want to take the time to reflect on a very special man. On Sunday, I was writing a post for my blog when I received the news that Heaven gained a very devoted and talented man of God. David Quinn, the music director at the Methodist churches I worked at for 2 1/2 years during my time at Tarleton passed away. He had been battling cancer for several years, and his health had been poor for a long time, especially during my last few months before I left Stephenville. Because his health was so poor, his passing was not a huge shock, but it doesn't make the fact any easier. Let me tell you a story. I had been working at Domino's Pizza for a year and a half during my freshman and sophomore year of college. I was often working 5-6 days a week and felt like I was drowning. I was had bronchitis for 4 months because I didn't have the time or rest to recover and was really struggling with depression. Life felt empty. I was not going to church, and all I had time to do was go to classes, do homework and go to work. I was truly miserable. I was so far away from God and was living in sin. I knew I needed a change. Thanksgiving of my sophomore year, God told me to quit my job. I didn't know what to do, though, because I knew I needed the money. I trusted Him, though, and turned in my notice. Less than a month later, David McMinn, the pastor at the Wesley Foundation on campus, told me about a job opening. Two local churches, Morgan Mill United Methodist Church and Bluff Dale United Methodist church, needed someone to help lead worship on Sundays. He told me that the instant he heard about it, He knew God put it on his heart to tell me. I, of course, was exhilarated but so nervous, as well. I had never really worked with music before, certainly not for a job! I couldn't read sheet music, which is pretty much essential for any music job, and I had never received any professional training. They interviewed me, though, and, to my shock, I was hired. That was when David Quinn became a part of my life. Though I knew very little about professional music, David was extremely patient and very encouraging. He coached me in the ways of singing from properly using my diaphragm to protecting my voice by not straining. As I spent 2 1/2 years working with this man of God, I was constantly blown away. He was one of the most hardworking individuals that I have ever met. He came to church week after week, even when his chemotherapy left him sick and weak to the point of barely being able to walk (no exaggeration). He was fiercely loyal to our churches and LOVED serving God through music. His musical gifting was incredible. He could compose breathtakingly beautiful pieces that truly conveyed God's glory, beauty and love. There wasn't a piece- no matter how difficult- that he couldn't play, and when he played I saw God move through music in such a beautiful way. I found myself being brought to tears quite often because I could FEEL God in the music. David was, also, an incredible teacher. Though he had finished his teaching job quite a while before I ever met him, he still used that ability to teach me so many things. I learned so much about music, about hard work, about serving God through music, about presenting an effective message through music and about working in a church just by spending time with David and watching him go through life. His wisdom always radiated off of him. These past several days have been tough, especially since I was not able to make it to the funeral, but God has given me comfort, too. I know, without a doubt in my mind, where David Quinn is. He is with the Father. He is cancer free. He is young. He is full of energy. He is with his friends and family that have gone before him. He is walking- no, running and leaping!- without the assistance of a walker, and I know that David Quinn is worshiping God with his beautiful music. I will never forget David, the lessons he taught me, the patience and love he showed me or the wisdom he imparted to me. He really was family to me, and I smile at the thought of us making music together again, one day. Thank you for your time, Olivia
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AuthorOlivia DeLaney is a recent college graduate that blogs about her transition into adulthood and the adventures along the way. Archives
January 2017
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