My Spiritual Guides

September 17, 2007 by David.

You know, it helps to take an account of your life every now and then. For one, it serves as a reminder of where you’ve been and (hopefully) how far you’ve come. Call it a “life audit.” It’s also a great way to look back and remember the people who have influenced you the most and made you who you are today.

Grandparents - The only grandparents I ever knew (my dad’s parents), Flo and John Walker demonstrated faith and dedication at an early age. I remember their visits always including a visit to one of the local Presbyterian churches while growing up. We normally didn’t attend, but would do so when they came into town. Their faith, though “classic” by modern standards, was steadfast and unfaltering, even in the face of numerous bouts with cancer, a mugging and even death.

Mother - Controlled crazy. But somehow, my mom always expressed a belief in Jesus, even if it didn’t always get reflected. Early on she shared the miraculous story of her own personal conversion from Buddhism to Christianity that still echoes in me today.

Father - At times bitter and angry, my dad didn’t take us to church growing up. He had been (and still is) disillusioned with church. My sense of cynicism most definitely originated here. We’d go around Christmas and Easter, but only if my sister or I asked. The lessons I learned from him were more about the life on this planet - hard work, commitment, keeping your word. Valuable lessons indeed.

Michael Scott - A friend in high school that at once showed me both what it meant to be spiritually “on fire” and how to crush a person. I admired Michael until the unfortunate occasion that I made a joke about his appearance. Upon doing so, he quit talking to me for weeks until finally deciding I deserved his forgiveness. This act flooded me with cynicism towards Christians and led me to become an atheist for the next few years.

Shea - My wife, along with her friends, would sit and listen to me whine at lunch about my girlfriend at the time. Eventually, they invited me to join them at a Youth event at their church, where everything changed.

Alan Parker - Youth pastor at Mt. Zion Baptist, he never felt the need to sugar-coat anything. If what you were doing was stupid, he’d tell you so. But, he never failed to love you along the way. He restored my faith in Christian leaders and pointed me to a book that renewed a dead faith - “Evidence Demands a Verdict.” He eventually ended up being the Pastor who married Shea and I.

Moodys - Shea’s parents reminded me of my own grandparents in their steadfastness. In the face of some of the most vicious, vile, disgusting circumstances ever seen in a church, the Moody’s provided a light in the midst of horrible darkness. They wouldn’t let their own faith be tainted by the power-struggles of wicked men. They demonstrated to me that faith need not be altered or phased by external forces.

Pat Roberts - Pastor of Crossroads Church of Henry County, he was one of the first people to not only not discourage questioning, but encourage it. He saw the skeptical nature inside me, and rather than try to squelch it, he helped to direct it. This blog is largely due to his encouragement and guidance. He also taught me a tremendous amount about leadership, the value of time and the deliberateness of being a good husband and father. To this day, he’s probably one of the biggest influences on my spiritual life.

Manny Ziegler - A brave man, indeed. While at Crossroads, Manny made it a point to take me under his wing and take a chance on me. He saw things in me that I didn’t even see in myself. Even though I felt like I was built to be a leader, Manny was instrumental in making that feeling a reality by “throwing me in the deep end of the pool.” He entrusted me to disciple others, something that has drastically shaped me even now. Heck, that experience was humbling as one of the members had a child out of wedlock, another left the church and got a DUI, while yet another turned his life back over to booze and partying. Even in the midst of that, Zig never faltered in helping to develop me. He’s the big brother I’ve never had.

Boyd Evans - My current Pastor and maybe the only man I’ve felt had the vision for what the new church should look like (not speaking of physical or outward appearances either). He took a tremendous step by asking me to be a “spiritual leader” for our current congregation, a position that not many 32 year old me would find themselves in. His passion for involving ourselves in our community and being more than a typical “church” is completely in-line with what I believe Christ wanted us to do. He tires of “church” stuff easily - a trait I admire and share.

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