A Tribute to Bob Blake

By Jake Hanson

August 20, 2010

It is a sad week for me, for Brother Bryan Mission and for all the homeless of the world. Bob Blake’s body is riddled with cancer—a diagnosis which was new to him within the last few weeks.  When I heard the news for the first time this past Wednesday night, I learned that he was in the hospital where they gave him an option: you can die with a feeding tube or with a breathing mask.

I went to visit him in the hospital last night and found him nearly unrecognizable. His skin was bloated, and gone were the colorful shirts, and handkerchiefs he often wore over his head. Instead, he was in hospital clothes, his beard had grown unkempt, and a breathing mask covered any remnant of his joyful face.

When I walked into his room, he was sleeping hard. I shook him to wake him, and loudly called out his name, but to no avail. I know he has been conscious, but also knew that he needed his rest more than he needed my company or encouragement. I spoke some Scripture over him, and prayed for him in these last days, and left without him ever knowing I was there.

I said that because of Bob Blake’s imminent passing, the homeless of the world will be losing a loyal advocate. I have never known a person with more needs who felt he needed to pray for others worse off than himself. You see, Bob had lived homeless for some time, but also struggled with diabetes, going to dialysis two to three times a week as he waited for a new kidney. When we asked for prayer requests, Bob would always tell us to pray for a new kidney, and we did pray. A new kidney would have done him no good for his present condition.

But before he ever got to request prayer for himself, he always asked for prayer for the homeless who slept in the cold (or hot) at night, for the single mothers, and for all those who were hurting. Making out exactly what he was saying was always a struggle, as he mumbled his way through his requests, but his heart was always clear. He had known what it was to be homeless, to have a single mother and to struggle, and he wanted to give the prayers that he so desperately desired during his own trials.

I will miss Bob Blake and his sweet, gentle and gracious spirit. I only hope that as he enters into the presence of the king, this advocate for the homeless and needy will continue with even more fervency to seek the Lord’s favor on those who have run the race that he has finished.

Rest in the peace of the Lord, Bob.

Update: Bob Blake passed away, Friday August 20, 2010, shortly after this writing.

…..

A New Blossom

I met a man, I will call Jim, at the mission almost immediately when I started going down last spring. Jim had wasted away his life with drugs and alcohol, and it has shown. Still, I liked Jim, and he took a liking to me—I think he was most impressed that I always remembered his name.

The problem with Jim was that he was still haunted by his life of drugs. In the past year, he relapsed, was sent to a center that specializes in addiction, he got clean, and he has been back at the mission (clean, so far as I can tell), for the past several months.
A couple months ago, he shared with me a couple things: he has never been one to go to religious services, but now he goes very regularly and faithfully. The second thing he shared took me a little off guard: he did not know if he was saved.

We talked about what it means to be saved, and I told him that the only person that can really know is him: “The Spirit testifies within your spirit that you are a child of God.” I pressed him to plead with the Lord to save him, to put his trust and faith in Him, and then to live in faith and obedience to God’s call on his life.

I did not see Jim the next week, but one of the workers relayed to me that he was sorry he could not be there—he was visiting family that night. But since that night, I think the Lord has been continuing to work in his life—I am sure through others.

I preached a sermon a few weeks ago on Jeremiah 17:7-8, “Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD And whose trust is the LORD. For he will be like a tree planted by the water” where I called on everyone there to plant themselves deeply by the stream of living water. Jim came up to me after the service to shake my hand, as many of the men do (unless your sermon was no good…which happens), and I said to him, “Plant yourself, Jim.”

He replied, “I am planted by the water.”

It was his sign to me that he had put his trust in the Lord.

I preached the next week on Hebrews 3:12-14: “But encourage one another, day after day…” I know that one of his best friends relapsed into alcohol—the deceitfulness of sin. He came up and gave me a hug after the sermon.

I pray that Jim will walk with the Lord, resist temptation, and encourage his brothers all the days of his life.