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For a very long time, there has been one concert that I’ve wanted to see: Garth! I never got the chance to see him in the early days when he was flyin’ from the ceilings of arenas, and my heart sunk when he stopped touring. But praise God that he and Steve Wynn came up with the incredible idea of Garth doing a bunch of really small concerts in Vegas. And that’s where I finally got the chance to see the genius at work. Let me say, it was outrageous! It was like being in his living room. I won’t go into too many details, I don’t want to spoil it, in case you get the chance to see the show.
One of the things I will share, is he spends a good amount of time talking about influences. Over and over he paints a picture of how certain people have made a huge impact in life and his music. Starting with him riding in the truck with his father listening to old country music on the radio. It’s that very thing that draws you in and helps you to see each one of those experiences played out in your mind. But it couldn’t happen without there being someone playing the part of the influential one.
Every Wednesday we have a devotional at our office for our team. This past Wednesday our former pastor, L.H. Hardwick, delivered a fantastic talk. But before he did, Dave got up and talked about how Brother Hardwick played a very important role in Dave’s life. It was Christ Church where Dave got saved. He became a spiritual father to Dave in his journey of becoming a Christian, as well as walking the walk. He shared that story with our team and it put you there at Christ Church all those years ago with a young Brother Hardwick, and an even younger Dave Ramsey, walking the road to Romans.
Each time I hear stories like this it makes me want to recognize those who have influenced me in my life, and be selfless enough to be one of the influential people in another person’s life. If you think really hard, can you tell a story of those in your life that have made a difference? Could someone tell a story about how you have done exactly that for them? I believe stories have such an impact on us because we are just that…one big story.
Chris, reflecting on my story always gives me encouragement to go forward in a difficult time and to be the encouragement to someone else. I find it a good effort to reflect on those that have influenced my life. Without them, I would not be who or where I am today and I thank God for them! Thanks for sending me down memory lane.
Misty