Albert Van Dam (1) (Led and instructed from his youth)

J. Van’t Hul, translated from Oude Paden

“Albert Van Dam, born June 19, 1949, with so-called club feet, which were treated.” This is how his father wrote it down in an old notebook, but there were more things wrong with Albert than club feet. Albert also had Down’s syndrome. Albert was a mongoloid as they called it in those days. There was still something else which was notable about Albert. He was one who was known by the Lord, one who was led and guided by Him from his youth. He lived his life in all simplicity—quietly, seriously, and respectfully. His life was spent in attending church. If he could not go to church, he would read the Bible, sermons, or edifying literature. This was his food and drink; he needed nothing else.

Father Van Dam made notes from day to day how matters stood with little Albert. Medically speaking, it was a difficult way. The notebook is full of words regarding his care: “plaster cast, bandages, open wounds, both little legs in a plaster cast, heels too short, high fevers, custom-fitted shoes, returning for check-ups, surgery.”

Albert was born in Opheusden, a village along the Rhine River. His parental home was located on the Dalwagen-way. When Albert was born, one of the family members went to tell Elder Johannes Verwoerd. “Verwoerd, a child has been born to your daughter Anna, but the child is not right; it is an unblessed child.” Upon hearing this message, Grandpa Verwoerd said after a moment of silence, “Then it is a blessed unblessed child.” Grandpa Verwoerd could believe that there was something good from the Lord in this child.

In those days there were no provisions for children who were mentally challenged in our church circles, so at the age of eight years Albert went to a special school in Tiel. The school in Tiel was not a Christian school. The radio played there all day long. At lunchtime, Albert politely asked for a moment of silence so he could pray. That was possible. They could easily be quiet for a moment, but the radio kept playing, so Albert could not pray. And because Albert could not pray, he could not eat. At the end of the school day, he went home with his sandwiches still wrapped. He did not pray; therefore, he did not eat.

In Tiel, Albert learned how to read and write. Subsequendy, he copied over the entire children’s Bible into numerous notebooks at home. At this special school in Tiel, the children were taught worldly songs. Albert decided that he had to try to see if one could play those songs on the organ at home. Hearing him play, his father asked him, “Albert, what are you doing?”

“Oh, sorry, Dad, my mistake,” Albert would say, after which he would continue playing Psalm 25.

“Oh, sorry, Dad, my mistake,” Albert would say, after which he would continue playing Psalm 25.

In those days, there were already three churches in Opheusden: the Reformed Church, the little wooden church at the foot of the dike belonging to the Netherlands Reformed denomination, and the church of the denomination which we know as the Reformed Church in North America which was located on the Burgemeester Lodderstraat. Albert’s greatest love was to be in church; it did not matter which one.

It happened that the doorbell rang early on a Sunday morning. “Van Dam, are you missing a child?” Missing a child, missing a child, no that could not be, especially on Sunday morning! The custodian of the RCNA had seen Albert, still in his pajamas, sneaking into the church. That is where they found him, sitting in the front bench with the Bible on his lap, waiting for the sermon to begin. It always remained that way. Church was Albert’s favorite place. He searched all over during the week for a church service to attend or, otherwise, a wedding service. If it were not possible to find one in Opheusden, then he would go to the neighboring towns of either Rhenen or Wageningen. Albert wanted to be there where they spoke well of the Lord, and he wanted to share in the hearing of it.

Albert’s life was steeped with reverence for that which is Above. He spoke in a very proper way, never using coarse language or a dialect, and if he should hear someone curse, he would immediately reprimand that person. He loved God’s Name too much to allow anyone to blaspheme that Name.

Whenever someone came to visit, he would ask him whether he already had a new heart. That happened one time to a visitor who had never even heard of the Bible. “Madam,” Albert asked, “do you have a new heart?”

Shocked, the lady replied, “No, happily not, my heart is still beating very well.” Albert left the room, shaking his head. That lady had not understood anything about it.

Whenever Albert would meet someone who was reading a book, he would ask him, “What are you reading? Is it a good book?” If it were not a good book, he would say, “You would be better off to ask the Lord for a new heart.” If someone were reading a worldly magazine, he would say, “You might as well use that to light the stove.”

Albert liked to shop for groceries. One time, he was standing in the grocery store with his basket and a list. The store was crowded; everybody stood waiting to be served. Albert thought to fill the time with something good, so he spoke loudly and clearly, “People, you need to be converted; otherwise, it will not go well with you.” No one said another word. During the noticeable silence, meat orders were wrapped, the bills were paid, people said a friendly good bye, but for the rest, there was complete silence. The message came across very well: “Turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways, for why will ye die?”

Wednesday, April 29, 1970, was a solemn day for Albert Van Dam. After declining their call three times, Rev. J. Karens had accepted the call from the NRC of Opheusden, and on that day he was to be installed in a service which was to be held in the Reformed Church. The text for the inaugural sermon in which he was bound to the congregation was from Exodus 3:14b, “I AM hath sent me unto you.” Albert joined the confession of faith class under this minister, and in 1972, he made public confession of faith. The text for that service was from Romans 10:10: “For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” From that moment on there was a bond laid between Albert and Rev. Karens. It sometimes happened during a sermon that Rev. Karens would ask, “Who is he that fears Jehovah?”

Then Albert would point his finger to himself and say, “I do.”

His brother MarienVan Dam, who is now an elder in Opheusden, said of Albert, “There was nothing devious about him; he was totally honest. He could not speak about the way of his conversion, but he loved the Ford, and he loved God’s people. When we had visitors, he could pick out God’s people from among them. It was as if he had antennae for that.”

Albert was blessed with a photographic memory. When his father read from Matthew 26, then Albert said, “Oh, Rev. C. Wisse preached about that once.” He knew all the rhymed psalms by heart. Once, while his father was reading the Bible at the table, he thought to fool Albert. He started to read, “To the chief Musician, a Psalm of David ...” and continued reading with a straight face from 2 Samuel 22. When his father finished reading, Albert said, “That was Psalm 18.”

“Wrong,” said his father, but Albert persisted that it was Psalm 18. In a certain way he was right because in the marginal notes for this chapter of Samuel, reference is made to Psalm 18. If a minister said from the pulpit, “With grateful heart my thanks I bring ...” then Albert would quietly say to himself, “Psalter 381:1.” When he heard the words, “But let the righteous blessed of yore, Joy in their God as ne’er before,” Albert would quietly say the next sentence, “Faith’s victory achieving.”

“He immediately makes the application upon everything,” said his brother Marien, “but the comprehension of what faith is or the questions of the Catechism he was unable to understand.” Terms such as justification and sanctification he did not understand, but he knew what a new heart was because that had been given to him by the Ford.

One afternoon, there was a gathering for the elderly in the Netherlands Reformed congregation of Opheusden. Albert was far from being elderly, but he always attended because it was held in church. That same afternoon Rev. C. Smits would conduct a special service in one of the neighboring churches. Albert said to Rev. Karens, who was also at the gathering, that he would rather go to listen to Rev. Smits, but his mother said that he should stay with them. Visibly upset, he said to Rev. Karens, “For once I can go to hear a good minister, but now I am not allowed.”

Hearing this, Rev. Karens said, “Bring that boy to Rev. Smits right now.”

Albert also liked to go to Ede to listen to Rev. Johannes Van Der Poel. At the close of the service, he was always allowed to come into the consistory room to shake the hand of the minister. At one time while doing this, he said to the minister, “Reverend, you are a good preacher, but Rev. Karens can do it better.”

For many years Albert was exercised with the Lord’s Supper, but that could not and would not be for him, and he did not dare. Still, the exercises did not leave him. In 1993, when he was forty-four years old, the Lord’s Supper would again be administered. On Saturday evening Albert said to his mother, “Mother, would you take my black suit out of the closet because I want to attend the Lord’s Supper tomorrow.”

His mother said to him, “But, my boy, you cannot go just like that, can you?”

His brother Marien was asked to come over and talk to him. He asked him, “Albert, do you have a new heart?” Albert vigorously nodded yes. “How do you know that?” asked his brother.

“The Lord has told me that in my heart,” said Albert.”

Do you know the Lord Jesus?” his brother asked him. Albert, very sure of himself, said, “Yes, I know Him.”

The Van Dam family did not know what to do, so they asked Rev. Karens to come over. Rev. Karens came and spoke and prayed with Albert, and they finally made this agreement. The minister said, “Albert, when I invite to the table tomorrow and the Lord speaks in your heart, then you should come, but if the Lord does not speak in your heart, you should remain seated.”

When Rev. Karens was gone, Albert quietly said to his brother Marien, “Hang my suit back in the closet because tomorrow I cannot go yet.” Albert did not attend.

In the months that followed, Albert searched through the entire Form for the Administration of the Lord’s Supper. He read it from the beginning to the end, and then he read it again. He was more and more troubled by his sins. Was there yet a way or a means by which he could escape the well-deserved punishment?

(To be continued)

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