My Tribute

You know those moments when God gives us the opportunity to step into another dimension in worship…and we hold back? Yeah, me too. What causes us to hold back? I’m sure it must be different things. Yet, there is one thing that is common to all afterwards. Disappointment. Don’t we all look out ourselves afterwords with frustration, or perhaps disgust, thinking–why didn’t I just do it? But we listened to the other voice. Shyness? Embarrassment? Pride?

On Saturday, July 19, an amazing Apostolic young man died. Traveling home from PEAK, a youth conference, Trenton Wade Bass was involved in a fatal car accident. He was the only one involved that was killed. Was God caught unaware?

It caught so many of us off gaurd. I will not lie and begin to tell you that Trenton and I were very close, or even relatively close. That would just be a mockery. But, I have always loved and admired his mom. I loved his family as a whole. Dearly. I have cried and mourned with this family in their time of loss.

Yet, I do not want to talk just of his death. A few days ago, I took some time to see what he had been doing in his last (unbeknownst to him) days. As I did, a story began to surface. A story that has touched my life. A story that he did not know was going to be told.

Thursday night service, from what I have heard, was an amazing service. I was not there, and did not hear the service myself. 

“On Thursday night of PEAK, Bro. Young preached about giving your all in worship and gave scriptures about dancing. At the end, he talked about how sometimes one person needs to do something radical. Trenton jumped up on the platform and started dancing with all his might. I’ll never forget seeing him up there, and how surprised I was. Pretty soon, the platform filled up with worshipers, and the whole arena of 4,500 people was dancing. The song that was playing was “Freedom”. Everyone remembers that moment, and how he is truly free to dance for eternity in Heaven now.” -Kendra Forrest

 

It is amazing how many people ended up there on the platform with him, but to me his getting up there is even more amazing. Maybe he was not as uncertain as I am many times. I know that if it were me I would have thought more than twice before getting up there by myself. But, however it came about, he got up there and showed us how it needed to be done. That being said, I don’t think he ever had “showing us” in mind.

When I heard this story, and how many people it has touched (and is still touching), something in me broke. A moment, that I am sure he intended just as worship, has outlived him and has already touched people he never knew. It was one of his last days on earth, and one of his last times to worship on earth–but he didn’t know that. He was just living each day as if it were his last. Serving God to the best of his abilities.

My heart broke, and I cried within. I want to live that way. And, I want to go beyond just saying I want to live that way. A desire was born in me, but not only that… I AM going to live every day as if it were my last. The will to do so was born in me. All because a young man, my age, was taken from this life before WE expected. A reminder that life is but a vapor, and not ours to play with. Trenton didn’t–he dedicated his to God.

Looking back there are things I regret. I wish I would have listened to that still, small voice more often. I wish I had more to show for my life up to this point. I wish I would have gotten to know Trenton better; spent more time with him and his family. But, I can’t change the past. So, somehow, I WILL change the future.

What if God calls me to spend some of my last moments in worship, and I hold back because I am shy? What if, unbeknownst to me, somebody needs my lead during a time of worship; and I let my pride hold me back? What if these moments are my last? What will I do with every moment of my day?

Thank you, Trenton, for teaching us to live every moment as if it were our last. Thank you for living a life that is still inspiring us…and I am sure it will be for years to come. We miss you, but you have achieved something better. Now we just can’t wait to dance with you on streets of gold.

“…Just perhaps its not a tragedy but rather Trenton’s triumph”

-Darren Plowmen

 

“Trenton Wade Bass, most popular young man in Pentecost–not because he died but because he danced!” -Myles Young.

~HonduranChikka

P.S. I stole some quotes. I would have asked for permission, but I didn’t really know who to ask.