This past week I had to say goodbye to a great friend. Dixon Blackwood passed away on Saturday, January 26 after battling a brain tumor for 2 years. I can honestly say that Dixon won the battle. One of my best friends Rev. Jim Aiken loves to say at funerals “that the last time a person closes their eyes on this earth is the first time that they open their eyes in heaven.”
I am excited to know that Dixon is in heaven hanging out with Jesus and moving into his mansion. Dixon’s funeral was on Monday and it was a great opportunity to hear from several folks about how he impacted their lives.
Dixon was first and foremost a sold out Christian. I honestly believe that everything he did was with the ultimate goal of glorifying God…the way he treasured his wife Melanie, the way he equipped his boys David and Jared to be men of God, the way he was always there for a friend, and the way that he served others always with a smile.
I met Dixon for the first time in September 2000. I was 21 years old and had flown down from Memphis to interview with Acworth UMC to become their new youth pastor. Dixon was a part of the interview committee. I remember right away thinking that I was going to really like this guy. If you knew Dixon, you know he always had a story to tell and it usually involved a lot of laughter! His involvement on the Youth Search Committee was because he was committed to his boys and he was dedicated to being a part of the team to reach students in Acworth for Christ.
After I was offered and accepted the position, my mom and sister came back with me in November 2000 to check things out. I was going to finish my final semester of college and graduated and then move to Acworth the end of December to get started. Dixon met Mom, Katie, and I at the house the church was providing me. He spent a long time showing us around the house and talking about the area. He also spent some time talking to Mom and assuring her that I would be well taken care of as a part of Acworth UMC. I know that Mom felt a lot better once she met Dixon.
I started as the Youth Pastor on December 28, 2000. From that point until I left Acworth in August 2005, Dixon was always there to help. He and his wife helped out by feeding students, chaperoning retreats, driving vans, setting up rooms, cleaning up after, digging elevator shafts (ask David about that one), going on mission trips, having snacks all the time, and just checking in at the office to see what we were up to. Dixon was always a man on a mission. He always had someone to help or a project to complete.
Dixon stopped by the church office almost every day just to see how everyone was and to see if anyone needed anything. I remember a few times when it would get to be late in the afternoon and we hadn’t seen Dixon yet. Everyone would start asking if anyone had heard from him. More times than not, he’d pop in right about that time.
Dixon was very invested in what God was doing at Acworth UMC, but he was also very active at North Cobb Christian School where both David and Jared were students. Now that I am on staff there, I hear that he checked in the office there most days also just to see if anyone needed anything. He was a big fan of NCCS and a huge supporter of the teachers and coaches there.
In August 2005 when the decision was made for Acworth UMC and I to go different ways, Dixon was the first to come alongside Clint and I ready to help. He helped us get a great deal on the house we are living in now. When I was offered the position at NCCS, the only reason I was even open to listening was because Dixon had always spoken so highly of the school. It was funny that he was one of the reasons I fell in love with Acworth UMC and one of the reasons I was so excited about beginning a new adventure at North Cobb Christian.
I remember sitting at the hospital February 14, 2006 praying with Dixon and his family before his brain surgery. It was actually some of the most fun I’ve ever had. When you get Dixon and his brother Harris together in a room, there isn’t much room left over for sadness or sorrow. We prayed that God would spare his life and that he would experience a full recovery from the tumor growing in his brain. We also prayed that God would maintain his sense of humor and his wonderful personality!
Over the past 2 years Dixon had good days and bad days. I had an opportunity to visit with him a few weeks before he died. His mind was still pretty sharp and he asked me how things were at school. He wanted to know all about the boy’s basketball team and how Clint and I were doing. He still had that same infectious laugh. Even sitting in a wheelchair shivering, he asked if there was anything that I needed! Even to the very end, Dixon was still concerned about others.
It’s hard to believe that I won’t be running into him out and about anymore. I had the privilege of knowing Dixon for a little over 7 years. He made a huge impact on my life. He taught me that there is always plenty of time to help others. I never wondered where Dixon stood on things. He was always my biggest cheerleader and my loudest supporter. Howard Hendricks says that in your life you should always have a Paul, Timothy, and a Barnabas. Dixon was my Barnabas and played that role for many others.
Thank you Lord for blessing me with 7 years by the friendship of Dixon Blackwood. I imagine there is a lot of laughing going on in heaven today!
Please pray for his wife Melanie, his sons Jared and David (and Jessica), and his grandson Samuel. There is definitely a hole in their heart and house, but they too are rejoicing that Dixon will never suffer again!