During his all too brief life, Rod Jackson exhibited the love of Christ in many ways to many people. One purpose of this blog is to give those he touched the opportunity to share with others what Rod meant to them. However, the main reason is to have a way to communicate Rod's legacy of service to his younger children and grandchildren who will not have the opportunity to experience it first hand.
To leave a comment, please click on COMMENTS below. We would love to hear from you about your stories and experiences with Rod. We will eventually be making a book for his children with your comments and pictures. We need lots of pictures for this book and the blog slideshow. Please share your pictures of Rod on this blog or send them to rodsblog@comcast.net. Thanks.
Roderick Dylan Jackson
May 13, 1962 - Sept 12, 2008
Rod was an Army Veteran and was the Facility Services Supervisor with Covenant College for more than 10 years. He was currently a member of New City Fellowship Church in Chattanooga and was also a Deacon in the Tennessee Valley Presbytery. Rod was the Founder of Mercy’s Chosen Children, a Christian foster care & adoption agency and had previously led the Mercy Ministry for Highlands Presbyterian Church.
Rod was an Army Veteran and was the Facility Services Supervisor with Covenant College for more than 10 years. He was currently a member of New City Fellowship Church in Chattanooga and was also a Deacon in the Tennessee Valley Presbytery. Rod was the Founder of Mercy’s Chosen Children, a Christian foster care & adoption agency and had previously led the Mercy Ministry for Highlands Presbyterian Church.
23 comments:
Rod, or Uncle Rod as many people called him, was a very special person. He was a great friend and father. He always had something to laugh about, I loved that laugh it was just so cool and friendly, it just made you want to laugh right along with him. He always went out of his way to help others. I remember when I had a class at Covent College, with his daughter and another friend, we always rode up with him it was always fun.
I've been jobless for a while, and money has been tighter and tighter. When I was on campus again for a visit, I stopped by Rod's office. He could tell I was upset, asked me how I was, and listened while I outlined our little tensions.
He asked the right questions: Do my husband and I have a church we attend? It is a Bible-believing church? Do our church elders know about our needs?
Then, we prayed together. I'm so thankful that Rod used his influence at that time to direct me towards the Lord, toward the Word of God, and toward the Church, the Bride of Christ.
I'm grieved to know that this will be my last earthly memory of him, yet so very thankful for his Godly influence in my life. I will miss him, and will be praying for your family.
There will always be some one person in the world whose presence is larger than life. For me, over the past few years, that person has been Rod Jackson. Rod was like the Energizer Bunny. He kept going and going. I think that was perhaps why my shock was so great when I arrived at the hospital to find that he had gone home to his Father. I never imagined a world without him because he always bounced back.
The degrees of separation for people who know Rod is mind boggling. He was a whirlwind for the Lord and I imagine him conversing deeply with the father right now. Whether you agreed with how he did things or not, he was an amazingly passionate man who has left a wide gaping hole in the universe. I cannot begin to imagine the impact of his loss.
As I am dealing with the great loss of my friend, this passage from Matthew 6:19-21 keeps coming to mind.
"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. or where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
His heart was too big to be held back by an earthly body. And his heart is now with the father. I am definitely sure that Rod is already putting together a strategy meeting with God!
Just to put something into perspective. I personally know a four children, whose paths have crossed mine who live in families who love them because of a ministry founded by Rod Jackson. It is because of Mercys Chosen Children that I med Rod for the first time. And its been a wild roller coaster ride ever since.
His passion was to see that God's people show mercy for the most vulnerable, the orphaned children of Northwest Georgia. I know that until the second he passed, he was working indefinitely hard to make sure that Mercys Chosen Children lived on. He fervently believed that God's people, the church, had the capacity to help these orphans. Please help us keep this ministry alive. Your prayers are needed now more than ever.
I am so very burdened for his own young children who now have to grow up without their father. My loss is nothing compared to what they must have to face in the coming future.
Please remember the Jackson family at this time. Rod would have been the first person to be there lifting up your family if the roles were reversed.
How does one even start to describe this man called Rod?....Gentle Giant comes to mind, along with personal feelings of Father Figure...
Mentor...
Brother...
Confidant...
and Friend.
Someone who Always offered the Hope of Christ no matter what I was going through. Someone whose laugh could brighten the darkest day. Who Always encouraged me and pushed me to do more than I ever thought possible. There is SO MUCH I could say....but all I know is that
There Is Never Enough Time With The One's You Love...
Until we meet again my friend.
To Rod's Amazing and Wonderful family:
All though there is great sorrow here on earth, there is an even greater rejoicing in Heaven now.
May God comfort and hold you in His arms during this time. I am always here for you if you need ANYTHING!
Laura
As a father with a daughter who was off at college Rod was a great source of comfort to both my wife and I. Why, because my daughter worked for Rod and always had a father's viewpoint when I was not available which at one point was frequent. My daughter considered Rod family and thus so do we.
Rod was also an incredible boss who cared about his workers. He knew how to read folks and thus was able to minister to them in the workplace. Catie learned much from Rod and for this I am truly thankful. He will be greatly missed by Catie and all those who have worked with him. His loss will be greatly missed by Covenant College, especially by dads like me who want their childrens college experience to be a great one. Rod's love and care for Catie as an employee and friend made that experience all the richer.
With much appreciation,
Tim Cummings
Some of my fondest memories of Rod are from his Fourth of July parties at his home.
Rod made some of the best "BBQ Hot Links," but would never tell us how he made his sauce. He always provided a great many explosives for the guys to detonate, and kept an eye on us while we became less and less cautious. He was always sure to prevent any lasting injury, and kept us out of jail when the neighbors called the cops (which happened EVERY year!)
Rod provided guidance for many of the young people at his church, and served as a "stand-in parent" for many. He will be greatly missed by all who knew him.
How do you begin to talk about your best friend? How do you describe the loss? How does one man express the love he felt for a friend. The closest way to describe it is that I felt as close to Rod as I would feel to my own brother. Rod was always there when you were going through rough times. He showed patience and understanding, but at the same time would hold your feet to the fire it you were the one who was at fault. He was also a man who never wanted to burden anyone else with his own troubles. Sure, he would open up if you asked, but you had to ask because he wanted to focus on the needs of the people around him.
Rod had the unique ability to relate to people where they were at. He was equally comfortable working with the desperately poor as with the wealthiest. However, his burning passion was centered on the young. Over the years that I have known Rod, every event, ministry, fund raiser, or outreach he became involved in was directed at children, youth or young adults. What amazed me was the depth of his commitment to whatever he got involved in. Because he always sought to do the Lord’s will, things that seemed impossible happened.
Rod and I were the first Deacons at Highlands. I soon found out that being a Deacon to Rod was more than mowing the lawn, changing the light bulbs and paying the bills. His mission was to create programs that reached out into the community to meet people’s needs. The mercy ministry and children’s programs were richly blessed. The following is one of the best examples:
Rod came up with the concept of an annual Christmas ministry. This ministry was designed to target the working poor that for some reason were not able to get help from other resources. The Church would take up special offerings and Rod would also get outside donations from the local businesses. Most years we had less than a week to adopt and meet the needs of 10-20 families. We would get a list of needs and wants from these families and send our church members to shop. Our members would look for bargains and sales and bring back a few extra items. One year in particular, it was approaching Christmas Eve, and we had a pile of items we had purchased set over to the side. One of the items was a red “radio flyer” wagon. We had already sent out our delivery teams and then we started to straighten out the mess from all the wrapping when a call came in about a desperate family. It was too late to send out any shoppers. What could we do? We starting asking what they needed and one by one, found that everything was sitting over in the pile that no one else wanted. To our amazement, one of the children in the family had a red wagon on their list!
I also believe that one of the best things that happened to Rod was getting the job at Covenant College. Rod had finally found a place that paid him to work with young people! In the beginning, it was a struggle because the money was not what he was used to, but the rewards were far greater.
Finally, I believe that his greatest achievement was founding Mercy’s Chosen Children (MCC). We are commanded in scripture to take care of “the least of these.” Who but the children that have been removed from their families could be considered the “least”? Part of the inspiration came from first hand experience in adopting children from Oregon. I picked him up from the airport in Nashville when he brought them home. It was easy to see the instant bond of love he had with them. The process of starting MCC was long and took many hours of work and required perseverance and patience. It met with opposition from people that were close to him and should have seen the Lord’s hand at work. Looking back we can only praise the Lord for the 20+ children that have been adopted into Christian homes. (Several of them have already made a profession of faith). What would these children’s lives be like without MCC? This ministry has had its ups and downs. It is also almost impossible to think about carrying on without him. But it is exciting to know that some day Rod will meet the children in heaven that MCC ministered to.
Rod was not without faults. He drove himself hard and spent a lot of time ministering to others that could have been spent home with his family. He was not perfect and he knew he wasn’t but he struggled to overcome his shortcomings, and he was one of the most Godly men I know.
I am excited to hear stories about how Rod Jackson influenced your life. Most importantly, I want his family to hear how this humble servant of the Lord lived his life for others.
I pretty much grew up at Covenant, so that place, and the staff who worked there, were always a huge part of the backdrop that was my life. I can't tell you when I first met Rod - I'm sure there was a time during the last 26 years of my life he wasn't there - but if my life depended on it I couldn't tell you when he came.
I didn't really spend as much time with him as with some others, but I saw his impact on the lives of my friends, especially those who worked in BEST. But even though we weren't close, he still always had time to at least say hi and to call me his "baby girl." One of the last times I remember connecting with him, I'd arrived too early for work in the kitchen, and he and the team were preparing to get the new dorm building ready for occupancy. He invited me to join them for breakfast, and for a tour of the building before they pitched in.
He was just like that - always including people, never asking who has the "right" to be there or not. Even when he had a million things on his plate there was time for a quick hug and "how you doing baby girl?"
That's one thing now makes me excited about whenever I get to heaven - to hear his "hey there Baby girl, how's it going?"
I worked with Rod briefly and quickly respected him for his efficiency and management of people. Thankfully I came to know him more fully in the years after as a student. I miss his company. He's just the sort of friend you see and want to stop everything you're doing just to soak up more time with. As many have noted, he listened and related well with people. He drew others into his passion to serve. I will miss his laugh and his genuine interest in others.
-ben
Rod was a very wonderful man. He was like my adopted uncle when I was at Covenant.He encouraged me, prayed with me, and always had time to talk even though he was busy. I could never fool Rod by saying "i'm fine" because he could always tell if I was really fine or not.
I went to a retreat that he held one time, and I remember having a heart-to-heart talk with him and sharing my testimony. I shall miss him greatly, but I know that he is in heaven singing and praising God.
Rod walked the walk like few other people. When I wonder what a real Christian looks like, I think of Rod. He cared for every individual who crossed his path, and he especially served those on the margins of society - those who don't have status or position or prestige - even though he had all the gifts and talents to be a "big name" himself if he'd chosen that path. Instead he chose a path of service to others far from the limelight. He had the "mind of Christ" (Phil 2). We are all his debtors. I miss him. He leaves a huge hole on campus and in our hearts.
I've had the privilege of knowing and working with Rod for the past 3 years. I was often taken back by how Rod would willingly give so much of his time and self for others. Rod was such a good teacher and friend to so many young people and I know those people are so grateful for his kindness and time. We will all miss Rod and wait for the moment when we will see him again but until that moment comes, we can only try to live our lives and devote our time in such a way that he did....to help others! We'll see you again Rod!
The Lord used Rod to help me forgive and reconcile with my father.
Once he found about the situation, he made sure to put people "on me" until I called him.
For this, I will be forever grateful.
Rod always called all the girls in his life 'baby girl', but I was his 'Dani Girl'. As long as I can remember, Rod was a part on my family, and he always made me feel like I was a part of his. When my father left my family, the leaders of the church I was a member of at the time told me they were there if I needed anything. When Rod told me, I knew he meant it. He was a man of his word. When I had classes at Covenant College, Rod would come pick me up and take DeeDee,Katie and me up to the school with him. I remember going up the mountain with him blaring southern gospel music. He knew we didn't like the southern gospel, so he played it even louder. I remember him singing away and looking at our faces and laughing, knowing how much it got on our nerves (it was 6:00 in the morning). Another thing that always comes to my mind when I think of Rod Jackson were his hugs. As soon as he hugged you, all the world was better, and you instantly felt safe. The world will be a different place without Rod, but it is a better place because of him. I will miss him very much.
I was wishing that Rod could read the wonderful things that people have said about him – and I realized that it wouldn’t be that important to him. He would appreciate the nice words but he never did anything for his own glory or so that others would think good things about him. Rod would seek God’s will and decide what was right, and then he would do it. After that, if others liked his idea, that was fine and if they didn’t like it, that was fine too, because he was confident in his decision and wasn’t doing it for himself – he only worked to glorify God.
There were some people that didn’t like Rod, they felt insecure around him - because he was good, and because he was always on the side of right, and that is very threatening to some people. If there was a difference in the popular side of an issue or the right side of an issue, Rod would always be on the right side; if there was an easy way to do something or a right way, Rod would follow the right way.
Most people felt his love. Rod’s faith was proven by the outpouring of love that was shown at his funeral, by the testimonies of love and integrity and honor and truth that were made at the funeral service.
He was a man of strong convictions, strong moral character; he had a keen common sense. Rod’s death is our loss; Rod is happy and with his Father; my grief is not for Rod’s death, it’s for myself and for all the many people who would have benefited from knowing him longer.
I was proud to call Rod my friend, and proud that he would consider me a friend.
I‘ve heard it many times over the past few days, but it bears repeating: Rod Jackson was larger than life! He touched many lives in countless ways. He did not acknowledge his own strengths but he was quick to point out the strengths of others. He was an inspiration. He was a mighty warrior for Christ. His prayers were sweet. He loved the Lord. He loved his family.
Rod held himself to high standards, there wasn’t enough time in the day to accomplish everything for which he felt burdened. The most important of which was time with his kids.
He was gentle, strong, kind, genuine, loyal, compassionate…
Someone, during the funeral service, mentioned the light in his eyes. It was the brightest when he spoke of his children. He was very proud of Ricky, Will, DeeDee and Gracie. I remember when he came home from Oregon with Vanni, victorious. Then with Mari and then, again, with Romeo. Those were joyful times that I was privileged to share.
He had his shortcomings and he would be the first to point them out. As witnessed during his funeral service, many people were inspired and comforted by his strength, a few were intimidated. A small number of people were threatened by his strength and unwillingness to bend to uphold their agenda. Rod had no hidden agenda. He did not hesitate to speak out when he saw wrongdoing. He sought after God’s will.
Now, there is no pain , no persecution, no shortcomings. He is triumphant in the presence of his Father. I will miss my brother but I look forward to seeing him in heaven.
2 Timothy 4:6-8
For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.
The first time that I met Rod was about two weeks into my first year of college at Covenant. I was having a hard time adjusting to living in the States and was worried about everything. I went to talk to Rod about my work study hours, but some how he knew that there was much more going on with me. He took my hand and said "Bethan, how about we stop and pray." I started crying, and he gave me one of his big hugs and prayed for me. His concern and love for me from the very beginning helped me through some hard times in my life. I always knew that Rod would be there to pray for me and give me a hug.
“And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.”- 1 John 4:16
The Rod Jackson I knew was very loving and kind. His hugs were the best, his warmth enveloped you. Just one “Hey baby girl, it’s good to see you” made me feel very special. He seemed like a part of our family. His love for everyone was visible. His love for the Lord was evident in everything he said and did. He was a mighty servant of the Lord.
John 13:35 “By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."
You were my childhood sweetheart. 23 yrs of marriage, 6 children. We did not have it easy but I love you. I look forward to seeing you in heaven where we will be perfect. I'm thankful for the times we shared and the love I have for you. You have blessed me more than I can say, I miss you my love. I will see you in heaven.
I remember Rod coming down the concourse with my son in his arms. It gave him a tremendous amount of joy to hand him to us. "Look at his feet! They're huge! He's going to be a hulk!" He said it like he was handing us a Grade-A son. And he was right. After he said it, he laughed and laughed. I loved his laugh.
I'm sure that my son and his two youngest kids were the hardest adoptions he ever did. I lost count of the amount of times he had to fly out of state to tend to something or the other, pushing things through. There was some case manager involved who was grossly incompetent and negligent. Rod fought and fought until they did things right.
I was a little astonished that Rod went on to found an adoption agency. I figured that the first experience was so difficult that only a crazy person would want to repeat it. But Rod was a fighter. There were a few times where it got the better of him, but many, many times where he did something good because he stuck with it long after anyone else would have quit. If Rod was on your side, you had an army.
I've never known anyone who could keep the attention of so many kids for so long with sheer energy and love. One year our VBS was rained out and all we had was one big room with over a 100 kids. Rod kept them entertained so that others (and Rod) could share about Jesus with them. The high point for me was Rod singing "One in a Million" while we rolled on the floor.
Another memory. During our adoption we did something really stupid, considering our weird adoption situation (which I WON'T confess here). I went to Rod to tell him and expected him to confirm my worst fears. Instead he laughed and laughed. When he finished laughing I wasn't afraid any more.
As with so many people, Rod changed my life. My wife and I were struggling to finish our last semester -- I had to quit my full time job in order to finish school. I went from doing alright, to barely being able to cover basic expenses. I was working three part time jobs and trying to finish up my last semester.
One day, my wife and I were walking on the campus and happened to walk by Rod's office, so we stopped in. He asked "How are you doing?"
My reply was the normal reply that society expected: "Great!"
He then asked "How are you doing?"
Again, I responded "Doing well!"
He then asked another question, "How are you doing?"
This time, it was "We are doing pretty well."
This time, it was a completely different question: "How are you doing?"
Again, "Doing ok."
Finally, he asked one final question: "How are you doing?"
This time, he got the answer that he knew was there: "Well, actually, we are really struggling."
At that point, we explained how we were really struggling financially and were unable to pay a couple of utility bills. He told us "Just drop the bill by my office and don't worry about it ever again." WHAT?!?! I grew up in a realm where it was not acceptable to ask for help, let alone receive it. Rod told me: "Look, we, as a church, spend thousands of dollars on people in the community that we don't even know. If we cannot help out one of our own members in a time of need, why are we here in the first place?"
I never worried about those bills and we were able to finish out the semester, graduate, and move on about our life.
The experience with just that one interaction dramatically changed my life. First of all, it changed how I view the whole "How are you" question. There have been times when I asked someone that and they responded the same way I did: "Great!" On occasion, I had the courage to ask: "No, really, how are you doing?" Those occasions have led to conversations where people opened up and shared part of their life and allowed me to encourage them in some way, or meet a need that they have.
One of the other things the experience taught me was that it is ok to ask for help. I really had to swallow my pride and admit that I could not do everything on my own.
Also, it taught me about the body of Christ and caring for other members.
I thank God for putting Rod in my life. I am sad for our loss, but seeing how much impact he had in this life and knowing that he is with his Lord and Savior now is very reassuring.
I knew Rod in many different ways. We met when I started attending Highlands my junior year at Covenant. I will never forget the way his family opened their home to me and made me feel welcome.
I got to know Rod better as I was his DFCS case worker here in GA for the adoption of Giovanni, Maricella & George. Then he asked me to work with him to set up Mercy's Chosen Children.
There are so many things to remember about Rod but these are the 2 that I hold dear:
1. The way he prayed. We prayed a lot together about many different things. He had this ability to to just come honestly before God, exactly as he was, and talk to God as his Father. His prayers were always real, and always brought me into God's presence in an amazing way.
2. His amazing faith. Rod believed in a big God who could do big things. There were times when his faith was frustrating to a detail oriented person like me. But I am forever grateful for the way that Rod showed me how to stretch my weak faith and believe in God's provision and love in real and practical ways.
-Sarah Rapier
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