If you were to ask me this morning what was the most important decision of my life, my answer would certainly be following Jesus Christ. That comes first.
But beyond that, I would say that it has been the people I chose to walk through this life with.
At the top of that list is the decision to ask a brown-haired girl from the south side to be my wife. And my reasons go deeper than the obvious things a husband might say.
Sherry believed in me when I didn’t really believe in myself. She pushed me to be better. She never allowed me to settle.
And make no mistake, I would have settled.
It is a remarkable gift to have someone see a tommorow in you that you cannot yet see in yourself. It takes love to believe in that possibility and patience to keep calling you toward it.
Then there are the friends and colleagues who have helped make me a better man. Their influence is woven into the man I am today. I can look back and recognize how differently my life might have unfolded had I chosen different company.
Those were choices I made. Who I spent time with. Who I listened to. Whose judgment I trusted.
We rarely understand the full weight of those decisions while we are making them. Years later, we begin to see how much of our chosen path came from the people walking right beside us.
Proverbs puts it plainly: “As iron sharpens iron, So a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.” (Proverbs 27:17, NKJV)
I can't help but think about my wife when I read that. And also about the people whose example has challenged me to grow in so many different ways. There is something deeply loving about believing in someone and expecting them to keep becoming.
Oh, I have made mistakes along the way. I own those decisions, too. All my choices weren't pretty. Some, I would be embarrassed to write here. But through God’s grace, He has seen me through it all.
Looking back, I can see that grace in the people beside me. People I chose to walk with, without fully understanding how much those choices would matter.
This morning, I thank God for all of them. Most especially that brown-haired girl who believed I could be better and loved me enough to keep me focused.
Who has helped you become a better person? Tell them.
They deserve to know what their presence has meant.
First Light
www.firstlightblog.org
A daily reflection on faith, leadership, and life. One honest thought each morning to help you start grounded, focused, and full of grace before the world even wakes up.
By Nathan Clark
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