I have 30 days until I turn 30, so I thought I'd try to choose 30 moments that have helped shape who I am and want to be. Coming up with the list has been challenging...and enlightening. These are in no particular order.
23: Derek Sanford.
I don't even know. I really don't. This is going to be a bulleted list of whatever comes to my mind, because there is just way too much:
- One of my first memories with Derek was sitting in his office and singing, "Thyroid is a gland inside of me, that secretes into my brain" to the tune of "Thy Word." Yeah, I know. I should have walked away right then.
- Derek is a faithful friend. I know he has my best interest at heart.
- I've definitely peed my pants laughing with him.
- His mind is incredible. The ideas and strategies that come out of him are pretty awesome.
- He has led me through a lot of ministry transitions and has given me the chance to try a lot of different things.
- He has also led me through a lot of life stuff. I remember one time he said, "Bad self-esteem cannot be a crutch for the rest of your life." That was a stake in the ground moment.
- Derek has just...been there, you know? As a pastor, a boss, a friend and a brother.
- I can't even count the number of times we've put our hands in the middle and decided to push forward together.
- He is the best leader in the world. He could be the President if he wanted to. I'm not even kidding.
- You know all those cool leadership and ministry ideas you read about? He probably thought of them two years earlier.
- His ability to cast vision is incredible.
- Derek loves Erie, and not because he's afraid to leave. He feels a strong calling to be a light in this community.
- I love working on projects with him. Our minds work well together.
- He is, without a doubt, the funniest person I have ever met.
- I truly don't know where I would be if I hadn't walked into Grace in 1996 and met him.
- I know that God has specific plans for us in ministry. I'm 100% sure of it. I'm loving this time, and I can't wait to see what the future holds.
How he has shaped me:
- I am doing what I'm doing, feeling what I'm feeling, and passionate about ministry because Derek let God use him to change my life.
6 comments:
seriously. derek IS AWESOME!
i think he should be president someday. could you imagine? and he could bring all of us with him to the white house...
that'd be a freakin sweet America.
Truly - you are so much of who you are because of D, and that is awesome. I think we've all been shaped by him in some ways, more than others.
We love to follow your leadership Derek! Keep pushing forward!!!
I can't read the rest of your post because I am still laughing and singing the "Thyroid" song...
He is a good guy!
whoa dude... this was incredibly and very moving to read. thank you. the future is bright - really, really bright!
...and my word verification- scrambled word that I need to type in to post this reply is "testio" - not sure what that means.
"Thyroid is a gland inside of me, that secretes into my brain"
I read this 28 minutes ago, and it hasn't stopped yet.
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