I wrote this letter to my track and field teacher:
Everyone saw what it meant to be a true Christian through you(and I didn’t consider God at the time). You’re a man who does not give up, you fight non stop, and everyone sees it, people, and spiritual beings. I wonder how many angels you befriended along the way, and how many demons just went someplace else knowing you’re not someone to mess with because you’re grounded in Jesus.
Hebrews13:2 Remember to welcome strangers in your homes. There were some who did that and welcomed angels without knowing it.
Our generation went from the hopeful 80s and 90s where if you did well in school, you went to college and got a job… But we found that many who excelled did not even get a chance at employment. The details of why this is or how it came to be would just cloud my words at this point. Bob, the drug epidemic that fell on the USA in the late 90s and stays til this day is due in large part due to the loss of hope. The biggest threat to my generation, you gave people a warning against every single day. You told everyone to fight on no matter what obstacle was in your way. You can slow down, but don’t stop pushing forward. I pray many people saw that hope in you and missed the long black train pushing the illusion of an easy out. I know you had to have helped some in this. I pray it was many. The spirit of a Christian fighter who presses on and does a good work no matter his lot in life is what everyone needed and many of us didn’t know it then.
I’m helping kids (early 20s) still this day who need to summon the will to fight on. May we pray each and every generation understands it is far easier to keep trying and working than it is to be lazy and check out. I have a few sayings about this: It is hard work being lazy. If you practice every day, you don’t even need to try.
I can’t over emphasize how much you K-12 teachers meant to me. Back then, I thought I’d might rather be playing in the woods, a junkyard, or playing video games than school a lot of days. Today, I’m exceedingly happy I spent time with you guys. Not only did we learn a lot from you guys and gals, stuff even teachers didn’t think would be needed… But our time spent with you teachers was time spent with friends. And friendship is eternal.
God bless you man, and may the holy fire that stokes you to excel in love burn eternal.
Amen,
Jim