Many people ask me for our son’s quote when in the hospital shortly before his passing. I have put it below in full context for those who do not know us but want more information. In all actuality, I wrote down many things that Mitch said in those closing days that have had less airtime but are equally profound and insightful.
Mitchell Alan Thomas was born to Matthew and Marlene Thomas on September 18, 1980. After 17 months laboring with leukemia, Mitch went to his eternal home on September 23, 2008 at 28 years old leaving his wife, Chelsea, and ministry for a promising eternity. Mitch was a youth pastor in two locations spanning about 3 years, the final year serving as youth pastor as his final occupation at Pasadena Corridors (Free Methodist Church) where his younger brother Sam was the founding and lead pastor.
During his more than 3 months on a cancer ward in a Seattle hospital, Mitch viewed serving the patients, doctors and staff as his new field of ministry. He shared his story, offered to pray with whoever needed it and most importantly shared the life and salvation of Jesus Christ with all who would listen. He brought peace and Christ. Many came to believe in Jesus, believe again in Jesus or believe more deeply in Jesus through his sharing. Many of them had experienced loss of purpose, broken relationships, were deeply embittered, had profound regrets, had lost a sense of hope, were angry over their illness, had felt abandoned by friends, family and co-workers during their struggle and a host of other struggles. Mitch ministered to them all in their pain, praying with them and for them.
The specific context of the following quote is this: Mitch and his father (Bishop Matt) would take daily walks in the halls in an attempt to sustain his lung function and prolong his life. On those walks, he would greet everyone he saw and use that as ministry time. One day, shortly before the end, Mitch was unable to walk due to the progression of the cancer and reaction to medications. Matt was stopped by several people while walking down the hall with the consistent comments that Mitch was missed that day and how impactful he was in their lives. It was a veritable gauntlet of appreciative people. Many of them (patients, staff and a doctor) spoke about how they had never met anyone like him who had transformed a ward. One patient put it this way, “If I talk to Mitch, I have a good day. When I don’t, it is usually a bad day.”
After Mitch recovered that afternoon, Matt asked him, “What do you think is the difference between you and many of the folks on the ward? They all speak so glowingly of you and have found hope through you. Why?” He responded, “It has become clear to me that holiness matters. I have no regrets, no moral issues to settle, no relationships to repair, no decisions to undo and no priorities to rearrange. My heart is clear. My memories are sweet. My relationships are outstanding. My ministry has been rewarding. My Jesus is always near. I am just fighting a physical illness while experiencing the riches of God in every other way. Walking in the Spirit, and allowing the Spirit to walk in me is living in holiness. I have illness- that’s all. If I carried spiritual sickness, lacked forgiveness, harbored bitterness, lacked purpose or carried regret; the illness would be unbearable. I have none of that. It pays to be clean. Then, when pain comes, it stands alone with little force behind its punch. For me, everything that is not pain is peace. Peace is a wonderful fruit of holiness.”