Yesterday I wrote an article about Steve for Worship Leader Magazine‘s “youth issue” to be released in a couple months. During the first Gulf War my father, a reservist retired from the military, went back on active duty as an instructor. He lived in another city a few hours away from us for a year. I was in high school and already hated myself and my school and our town and life in general – and I’m not entirely sure, looking back on it all now, why. I do remember feeling constantly torn between being myself and being who I thought everyone else would love much more. On top of this I was very dramatic, writing poetry and sulking around, and throwing little tantrums here and there, very Kurt Cobain. It’s a wonder any of us survive adolescence isn’t it?
Steve opened his home to me and my friends in those days. He was my Sunday school teacher. He fed us pizza every Sunday night after church. He asked us questions and then really listened to the answers. We talked about girls and parents and our dreams. Nothing was too stupid to say out loud. Nothing was too trivial to be fretted over. Most of all, Steve noticed me when it seemed very few people did, when I felt very alone. And it changed me for the better forever.
Mr. Godin writes about the super among us…
As far as I can tell, there’s no demographic formula for determining who will make a difference. It doesn’t seem to matter where you were born, how much money your parents made or where you went to college. Sure, a head start in those areas makes it more likely that you’ll end up in a position of leverage. But it seems as though that isn’t enough.
Superheroes don’t have a look, but they definitely have an attitude. They’re restless and impatient, but, here’s the cool paradox, they’re also calm and patient. Patient because they realize that change takes a while. Patient because they understand that if it’s worth doing, it’s worth getting through the Dip. Impatient and restless, though, because they refuse to accept the status quo. Most of the time, of course, these can’t co-exist. Most of the time, the impatient flit. They don’t stick it out.
The more superheroes we can find, the better. If you know one, celebrate them!
Who made a difference for you/in you? Have you told them?
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Keith Green and Rich Mullins were dead. And so was my desire for what was being promoted as contemporary Christian music. I was disillusioned by Amy Grant’s crossover and divorce.
It was easy not to be informed about Christian artists. There is no Christian radio station that I can listen to at my house or where I work. The Reach FM just doesn’t reach that far. And Christian concerts in my area are few and far between. Besides, I had questions. Was every Christian artist trying to emulate the world? Where these musicians writing and performing to an audience of many or to an audience of One?
Then for Christmas, my wife gave me the WOW 2002. She was hoping that we could find some other artists to fill our collection besides Steven Curtis Chapman and 4Him. She was right and had a good plan. Song #14 on the second disc made me stop and listen again…welcome to this heart of mine…take me, make me all your own…that’s all I’m asking…
We purchased several CD’s after listening to that WOW Hits CD. Without a doubt my favorite was “Invitation to Eavesdrop”. I wouldn’t have thought that I was particularly dry (spiritually) in the 1990’s, but in January 2002 we added several CD’s to our collection…and we have continued to do so since then. And the music we purchased did what music should do…it touched our souls…and turned our hearts towards God.
Thanks… super hero…
This is a great opportunity to, again, pay my respects to Geri Mills. My second mother, my mentor, my friend. I am one of about 40 kids who can call her a second mother. She was grace and Jesus personified in our lives. She is the wisest person I ever had the privilege to know. I did my best to tell her what a difference she made in my life at every opportunity once I become aware of that difference she made. I will never forget her. I’ve told many people about her. I count it a privilege that my own children met her. She went to be with the Lord about a year ago.
Thanks for the opportunity to share, Shaun
Two women have impacted me deeply in the last 8 years.
The first was Nina, a 45-year-old mother of 5 and wife of an unorthodox youth minister. She listened, encouraged purity and didn’t judge when I was a single mom trying desperately to work things out with a loser father or other marriage possibilities (get this…I was actually proposed to by an illegal alien so he could be legal, and worse… I actually considered it…). She was thrilled to death, you can be sure, that I ended up with who I ended up with.
The other was Elaine. She mentored me through learning more about the truth of my new identity in Christ and learning to live in truth whether my feelings backed it up or contradicted it. She taught me to find my confidence in Christ and to be certain in my calling, regardless of the human reaction to it.
These women are amazing, and yes, I’ve told them both that several times.
Oh, I meant to include that Elaine is 72.
The coolest old person I’ve ever known.
my grandpa…
and my husband…
I just wrote on my blog yesterday about my awesome community group (which is our fancy name for “Bible study”, because it really is much more than that). I never expected to find these girls, but God blessed me so much be providing me with shcb REAL Christian community. I can be honest and stupid and and struggle and grow with these girls, even now while we’re spread out all over the state. I don’t know what I’d do without them!