montreal postcard from dave dejong 1991...i knew dave growing up in grand rapids. He lived at the end of Blaine street, a few blocks from our house on griswold in the Alger heights area. We both attended Seymour-Millbrook-Christian High. And we were on the same little league baseball team (Trane Air Conditioning) and his dad (Connie) was our coach. Nice family. They were very hospitable to me after I transferred from Alger public elementary to Seymour Christian in 5th grade. We actually did a lot of things together growing up. We would cruise in his red "Cuda" ...a beautiful classic car. We camped out at Pentwater with his family a few times. Later he had a jeep we would cruise in. He hung out with a different crowd in high school so we weren't as social after junior high but still maintained some sort of communication. And then after high school he went to RBC and I went to Calvin College. Strangely, he became very "religious" at that point while I was becoming a bit less so during my first four college years even though it was a Christian college. At some point he gave me a book called "My Utmost for His Highest" by Oswald Chambers . It was a strange, or surprising, "conversion" by Dave. He had sort of gone off into a different crowd in high school...maybe a bit into drugs ( I did a little bit of marijuana too, but just a little ...never dealing in it or seeking to buy it..only if somebody might have some at a social event I might have a little) So apparently he was rebounding from that stage of life and God was the answer. For me at the time it didn't reach me, but later in life I appreciate the gesture. I was "always Christian" and a church attender, and a person of prayer but for a while I was only moderately committed. I think Dave even did some church work for a while, not sure why he left it...last thing I could tell from looking online he was/is working in sales. I hope all is well for him and family. Maybe later in life now we could appreciate our childhood memories . It's really amazing when I dig deep in my memory all the things we did together..a bit wild and crazy. And God has kept us alive this many years...we've lost a few mutual friends. RIP: Rick Byle, Doug Kosters, Paul Laninga, Kurt Jelsema, et al.
" If u declare with your mouth,
"Jesus is Lord," & believe in your heart
that God raised Him from the dead,
u will be saved."
Romans 10.9