A Tribute

Last Sunday I shared part of an email that I’d received from a young man who was a part of the first church Tami and I pastored, in Marysville, Michigan. I’d like to share with you the story that led up to this email as a tribute to a very special friend.

In 1989 Tami and I moved to Michigan. Eric Schuman was a young man who attended the church with his family. He was my age, married, and had three children. A friendship quickly developed, and because we enjoyed the same hobbies we were together a lot.

Eric had not been a Christian very long, so it was a great opportunity for me to help disciple him. We discussed various subjects relating to the Christian life such as parenting, church leadership, evangelism, and many other topics. Eric was constantly in the Word and hungry to learn. Soon he was teaching a children’s Sunday School class and volunteering to serve in many areas of the church. He was truly a walking testimony of God’s changing power.

Eric’s passion to grow in his faith was just a reflection of who he was as a person. It seemed like whatever Eric did he was a natural at it. He was a star athlete in high school. He excelled in the army, climbing quickly the ranks. He signed up for any training that was offered and enjoyed every minute of it. He told me about one training class that took him to the jungles of Panama to learn survival skills. Unfortunately, he suffered an unexpected injury that forced him out of the military, but that didn’t discourage Eric.  

In life, one of our friends always told Eric that he was “the luckiest guy ever.” It seemed like Eric was successful at whatever he set out to do. Sports, teaching, career, family—everything seemed perfect. At 34, life couldn’t have been any better for Eric. That winter, Tami and I returned to Michigan after a Christmas vacation trip to Texas and Eric called to ask for prayer. He had been suffering migraine headaches and was going to the hospital to see what could be done. That night Eric’s life changed because they discovered he had a brain tumor. Eric fought for a year and a half before passing away. Throughout his battle, he was an encouragement to those around him. When he passed away he left behind his wife, Mona, and three amazing kids. His funeral was packed out, and over 100 people who attended raised their hands to accept Christ as their Savior. 

Eric was a very special part of my life, and there’s not a week that goes by when I don’t think back on the times we enjoyed together. We played golf, bowled (Eric was a professional bowler for a while), played softball, went to high school football games, and just sat and talked about our families, our jobs, and our Christian journey. Matt, Eric’s son and the youngest child, was angry at God for what happened to his dad. As an 11-year-old boy he couldn’t understand why this happened. As Christians we are not exempt from hurt and pain, but how do you get an 11-year-old to understand that when you cannot understand it fully yourself? Here it is, 17 years later, and he was talking to his mom and that led him to our website where he started listening to my sermons. He not only listened, but he also realized that being angry at God was not the way to find peace. He sought God and God was there. Matt said he felt like a weight was lifted off of his life and now he is looking for a church where he can take his family. Matt, I’m so proud of you, and I know your mom and dad are too! You will see him again when we are reunited in heaven. I miss your dad too!