Happy birthday, my friend! As hollow an opening as that is, it is incredibly heartfelt. I surely don't need to tell you how valuable life is. Every time you kiss your son, you're reminded of the beauty of it.
Sometimes, we in your life don't do as good of a job as we can telling you how much you mean to us. From the moment I first met you, I knew you were a man of high quality. I appreciated your intelligence, wit, and deep knowledge of the Lord and His ways. You had a maturity beyond your years. I think that's why I reached for you so quickly to lead the East Central Area when you were in Wooster. You have this ability to make others instantly comfortable around you. I knew that youth leaders, veteran and rookie, would buy into you as a leader...and they did.
Obviously we never know how life is going to turn. Not knowing how long I would stay in district ministry, I wondered who might replace me when I left. I never told you this, but I thought you would have been the natural choice to be DYD. Your ability to network, form relationships, bring creativity, and secure leadership would be amazing. The Lord has other plans, but I wasn't surprised when you were asked to join the team in Columbus. I just knew you had those gifts to lead on a wider stage. Where it goes from here, who knows? But I know the Lord has wonderful things in store for you. And that's not so much because of your abundant and obvious gifts. No, it is because of your great heart and Godly character. I'll be excited to watch from the sidelines at where the Lord takes you.
Thanks for being my friend both before and after the DYD title. It means a lot to me. I love you, Steve, and am honored to be your friend. Hope you have an amazing birthday. See you at Network Conference. Take care.
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