Whose Shoulders Are You Standing On?
Do you ever think about the people who have contributed to your life and, to some degree, made you the person you are today? Hebrews 12 begins with these words, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses.” The author of Hebrews is making reference to those who have finished their journey in this world and are now with the Lord. You and I are standing on the shoulders of some of those people, although some of the people whose shoulders we are standing on may still be alive today.
I think of my Christian parents who took my sisters and me to church and presented the plan of salvation to us. My Sicilian grandfather regularly talked to me about Jesus. He used to get up at 4:30 every morning to read the Bible and pray for his family, which included his five children and 21 grandchildren.
At age 12, Sammy Vazquez became my best friend. We went to youth camps, youth conventions, and all kinds of Christian activities together. One day when we were about 15, he told me he was going to be a pastor. I told him, “Good luck with that, but I have no plans to go into the ministry.” He kind of smiled at me and said, “I think you are.” At age 19, he talked me into going to the Christian college he was going to. The first semester there, God called me into full-time ministry. Who knew? I guess Sammy did.
I had a prodigal son season that lasted a few wild years before college. My pastor, Floyd Cagle, gave an altar call one Sunday morning, and I knew it was time to come home. Later, after he knew I was headed for ministry, he gave me an opportunity to give an altar call at our church after a Christian movie.
Joe Falancia was a church planter in Maui, Hawaii. Our college had a missionary intern program. I signed up for it and ended up working side by side with Joe. He inspired me to be a church planter.
Harold Duncan pastored a large church in Lodi, California. He interviewed me for a youth pastor position immediately after I graduated from college. I had no experience, but he took a chance on me.
John Milton was a highly successful youth pastor. He took the time to mentor me on how to love and lead students. Sadly, John passed away at age 43 from a heart attack. I will always be grateful to him.
My uncle Dave loved San Diego. I had never been there, but every time he talked about San Diego, I got the impression that San Diego was the next best thing next to heaven. Through a long series of circumstances, I made it to San Diego. Thanks, Uncle Dave, you were right!
Two of my roommates in college were amazing surfers. Jerf Kurokowa was from Hawaii, and Mike Thompson was from Santa Cruz. They taught me how to surf, and I will forever be grateful to them for it. Surfing has been a huge part of my life. I've put on surf camps for kids, local surf contests, and other surfing-related events throughout the years.
In 1993, I pastored my first church. It was a nightmare experience, and I needed a good friend to help me through the crisis. Mike Quinn was a fellow pastor who helped me navigate through some of the most difficult times of my life. He was also a great surfer. We surfed hundreds of fun sessions together.
My former district superintendent, Ray Rachels, played a key role in my life. Seeing that I was in distress, he came to my rescue on a couple of occasions. One time I was ready to throw in the towel, but he talked me out of it.
Of course, no one has had more influence on me than my incredible wife, Karen. She is and continues to be my cheerleader when I need someone to cheer me on. She always sees the glass half full, while I unfortunately tend to be a glass-half-empty kind of person. Her optimism is contagious.
There are so many other people I could mention. I would not be who I am or where I am today without the people I mentioned.
I hope you will take the time to think about the people in your life who have made you the person you are because, whether you know it or not, you are standing on their shoulders.
Stay close to Jesus,
Steve