The Prayers of Gary Olson

There aren’t many days that I can remember with crystal clarity 25 years later, but November 2, 1999, will stay in my mind forever. On that day our son Josh turned 20. To help him celebrate, Marlene and I drove out to Wheaton College to take him to lunch. On our way back to Oak Park, we talked about this and that, and then she went back to her office at the Christian school, and I went back to my office at the church.

A few minutes later, Marlene called to say that she had just heard that Gary Olson had collapsed while working out at the local high school. In the few brief minutes it took to drive to the hospital, I knew in my heart that he was gone. For years Gary had been the head football coach at Oak Park-River Forest High School. He had served as an elder at the church. And he and his wife Dawn were our dear friends. A year earlier we had taken a vacation together to the Cheyenne Frontier Days in Cheyenne, Wyoming. For five years Gary and I were part of a Promise Keepers group. Almost every time when he came to pick me up, Gary had Elvis playing in his car. So we sang along to “American Trilogy” on our way to the PK meeting.

He was a great football coach, a man’s man, an excellent husband and father and grandfather, highly respected in the community, and he truly loved the Lord and was outspoken about his faith. He was one of the best friends I have ever had. All our boys knew him and loved him. Thousands of people came to his wake and to the funeral service.

Gary loved to pray. After he died, we put together a tape of the prayers he prayed during the worship services at Calvary Memorial Church. Gary’s prayers always strengthened me.

If you listen, you’ll catch a glimpse of his heart and you’ll understand why I loved to hear him pray.