When I was a kid, I used to think about what I wanted to be when I grew up. Often I thought about the people I wanted to be like. Well, I'm just a year and some change shy of fifty now and most of the time I still feel like a little kid waiting to grow up. And when I grow up, this year's slate of heroes is who I want to be like.
The 2021 heroes stand out, not so much because of the heroic deeds they've done--though they definitely have done great deeds--but because of the kind of people they are. They are people that, in their faith, support, commitment, love, and priorities, I want to emulate.
A couple of notes about this year's inspiring group. The five men and five women are students and teachers, parents and pastors, mentors and role models. Two are being recognized posthumously, and I wish that I had been able to tell them how they inspired me while they both still lived. Indeed with that reminder that it's important to let people know how much they matter while they can still hear it, this year I did something that I've only done occasionally in the past: I'm recognizing several individuals whose inspiring character isn't unique to this specific year. Whether it's a bold decision made two decades ago or many years of exemplary living that I've followed with admiration for quite some time, these are people for whom acknowledgement is long overdue. And finally there is a new "Heroes and Inspiration" record set. I've acknowledged a number of heroes more than once over the years, but for the first time, I am acknowledging a person for the third time--and she couldn't deserve it more!
Here they are, my heroes and inspirations for the year 2021:
Jeremy Wong
Dayshawn Stanford
Afia Ossei-Wusu
DeLaina Cox
Matthew Niemeyer
Rex & Clarie Kosack
John Abbott
Barbara Leen Maycock
Charlene Maloney
Jeremy Wong
I'm inspired by his commitment to youth
"I'm for your life." That's the tagline to my favorite Mat Kearney song, "Life Time", a deep cut from his early years, and it describes exactly how Pastor Jeremy approaches his work with the youth he ministers to (see complete lyrics here). Jeremy is all in what it comes to kids. He plans the most amazing activities and adventures for the middle and high school students at Worthington Adventist Church. He works hard to stay up on the latest youth trends, and he seeks to create an environment that is welcoming and youth friendly. But that's standard youth pastor practice--what makes it meaningful is the heart Pastor Jeremy brings to everything he does. He instinctively understands that the fun activities, knowledge of what's cool with kids today, and "making Jesus relevant" don't mean anything if he's not living the love of Jesus himself. So Pastor Jeremy lives that love. He is intentional in getting to know every one of the youth personally and letting them know that they are always welcome, no matter what. I have personally witnessed his commitment to kids that others might have turned away. He understands that kids aren't just part of the kingdom of God--they are its very heart. And so he is fully committed to being an advocate and ally for all kids and doing whatever it takes to be there for them in their time of need.Youth pastors have tend to have a reputation for trying, perhaps too hard, to be hip. But, to every kid who comes into Pastor Jeremy's orbit, he'll be the first to say. "I'm not about all that. I'm for your life."
Dayshawn Stanford
I'm inspired by his scholastic focus
He gets it. He really gets it! It's like a switch went on and Dayshawn, went from having what we teachers like to call "potential" to living up to that potential, and even exceeding it. Seemingly overnight, Dayshawn went from being a good student to being an outstanding one. I remember reading his homework responses and listening to his observations during class discussions and being amazed by the depth of understanding he displayed. Just watching his maturation and growth as a scholar, was a privilege. Now that Dayshawn is in high school, I fully expect he's continuing to excel. But even if he hits a bump on his academic road, I know he'll get back on track. He knows how to succeed. And as I continue to work with middle school students finding their way to greatness, I'll think of Dayshawn and be reminded that they can get it, just like he did.
Afia Ossei-Wusu
I'm inspired by her faith
Every morning she had the same prayer. Afia's prayer request was always that we'd be able to go back to school in person. This was her last year at Columbus Adventist Academy and she wanted to be with her classmates in-person before they all graduated from eighth grade. I would dutifully pray for her request, but I confess privately, I was doubtful. We were in the midst of a global pandemic that seemed to have no end in sight. I just didn't see how we could go back to school this school year. I almost felt a little sad for Afia that she kept asking for the same thing--something that was basically impossible. But Afia remembered something that I had forgotten in my grown-up skepticism--that with God nothing is impossible. So I'm sure Afia wasn't surprised at all her when her prayer was answered. Her school never went back to full in-person instruction during the 2020-2021 school year, but beginning in March 2021, her eighth grade class did. She was able to spend every school day of the last three months of the school year in person with her classmates. Her year culminated with a wonderful graduation ceremony and epic class trip across the southeastern United States. When I'm inclined to sell God short, I'm reminded of Afia's faith and my faith is strengthened as well.DeLaina Cox
I'm inspired by her excellence
DeLaina raises every one's game. It's really that simple. As soon as she signs on, she elevates the quality of whatever the endeavor is. DeLaina is practical, no-nonsense, and asks the tough questions most would rather avoid. And she does it all with deft tact and a kind spirit. She's not about showing up other people or showing off her own considerable talent. She's brings a Fortune 500 level of competence and dedication to unpaid volunteer work. Her focus is an unselfish emphasis on quality and a successful outcome. I've had the privilege of watching DeLaina in action on a variety of school and church committees and she's never failed to impress me. If you want something done right, make sure DeLaina is on your team.
Matthew Niemeyer
I'm inspired by his legacy
His impact is that of a man twice his age. If you were to read the many tributes that have poured in for Matthew in the weeks since his untimely passing without knowing that cancer had claimed him too soon, you would assume that Matthew was well along in years. His life may not have been long, but it was certainly full. His kindness, compassion, laughter and zest for life are inspiring to reflect on. Though Matthew and I were schoolmates, we weren't close, but even so I could sense that he was a good and decent young man. And in the wake of his death, I've been moved reading the many tributes of those who knew him and loved him, those who had been blessed by his professional expertise and soothing bedside manner. As I reflect on Matthew's impact, I'm encouraged to seek to leave a legacy like his--one that recognizes that a full life is measured not in number of years, but in how we fill the lives of those around us. I wish for the sake of his family and loved ones, that Matthew had been given many more years, but I'm inspired by how he used the years he had.
John Abbott
I'm inspired by his priorities
Pastor Abbott's most powerful sermon was preached without a word being spoken. Well, not quite without a word. I will never forget that Sabbath--probably around twenty years ago now. Pastor Abbott was slated to preach but that morning he stood at the podium and announced that he was leaving. His wife and daughter were sick at home and he needed to be with them. I was profoundly impressed by Pastor Abbott's bold decision to forgo a sermon we probably didn't need to provide the care his family so desperately required. I'm sure he couldn't have come to that decision easily. After all, what would people think? In the end, that didn't matter--what mattered to Pastor Abbott is what God was calling him to do in that moment, and what his family needed. So, he walked off the platform and out the door, and we sang a closing hymn and went home early. And to this day, whenever I'm tempted to put "the work" above the people God has placed in my life, I'm reminded of the sermon Pastor Abbott lived out that day.
Rex & Clarie Kosack
I'm inspired by their marriage
We called them our Step Parents. The name came from their leadership in our Marriage Encounter program, "Steps Along the Journey", a ten-week program of deep study of the principles of Marriage Encounter. Rex and Clarie Kosack were, I believe, instrumental in developing the Steps curriculum and as far as I know the Mariana's Islands are the only place in the world where this crucial element is part of Marriage Encounter.
But Rex and Clarie didn't just inspire me in an academic sense--they inspired me most of all by leading by example. They showed all of the couples who went through the Steps journey what a working, successful marriage looked like. Their willingness to share deeply of their experience had a powerful impact on us and on our marriage. The Kosacks modeled unconditional love, differentiated devotion, and mutual respect. It wasn't that their marriage was perfect or without challenges--but that they showed how to work through imperfection and meet challenges with wisdom and grace. Rex and Clarie lived out those familiar wedding vows loving and cherishing each other, for better or worse, in sickness and health, until death finally did part them. My goal is to follow in the footsteps of my Step Parents and dear friends, Rex and Clarie Kosack.
Øystein LaBianca
I'm inspired by his example
Dr. LaBianca's master class is on how to live, and the syllabus is own life. Pay attention and take notes everyone because there's no better teacher out there. There are so many things I admire about Dr. LaBianca. He is intelligent, a deep thinker, and a man of many accomplishments. Yet he is also humble, kind, and thoughtful. He has a practical spirituality that emphasizes care for his fellow man and for the planet we inhabit. He is a man of deep conviction and great vision, and that combination of conviction and vision has resulted in a remarkable career, leaving his mark everywhere from Peru to the plains of the Madaba project to the halls of Andrews University. I have particularly appreciated how supportive Dr. LaBianca has been to me personally over the years. I've always felt that he was someone I could go to for a word of wise counsel and godly guidance. In short, Dr. LaBianca is an example of the kind of man I want to be.
Barbara Leen Maycock
I'm inspired by her support
Babs has always been there for me. I've known it and admittedly, I think I've often taken it for granted. But I didn't fully grasp her steady support for me until I really needed it. This year has been marked by what seems to be unrelenting grief for me. Dealing with the loss of one of my closest friends knocked me flat. But it was Barbara's patient love, understanding heart and listening ear that enabled me to get up day after day and keep on going. My wife is something of an expert in grief since the passing of her father in 2014. She's been a strong advocate for the Grief Recovery Method in dealing with loss and her deep knowledge of what grief is enabled her to understand and accept my struggle. Thanks to her encouragement, I also did the Grief Recovery Method class this fall and found it to be instrumental in processing my loss. But more than that she lived out the principles of Grief Recovery with me. She didn't hustle me to "get over it" and she didn't demand I justify my sorrow. Instead she sat with me in my sadness, comforted and supported me. I have never felt more loved and I have never loved her more. Thank you, Babs, more than you'll ever know.
Charlene Maloney
I'm inspired by her heart
A heart is the one thing that still works even when it's broken. At least that's the case with Charlene Maloney. I've known Mrs. Maloney a long time--ever since I was a teenager hanging out at her house with her daughter Chandra and our other friends back in high school. She was always warm, welcoming, kind, and understanding. I remember those times when Chandra and I would be having one of our little tiffs, as adolescents do, and Mrs. Maloney would give me a comforting smile as if to say "It's okay, Sean, give it time. She'll come back around." And of course Chandra did. Charlene knew her daughter well and loved her with her whole heart. And then a little more than a year ago Mrs. Maloney's heart was shattered into a million pieces with Chandra's sudden passing.
And here is the miracle: Though Mrs. Maloney carries a weight of unimaginable grief, her shattered heart still continues to love. She continues to poor out warmth, welcome, kindness and understanding to her grandchildren, her children, to everyone around her. And to me as well. I, who hoped I could be some comfort to her hurting soul, found that so often she was a comfort to me. The darkest grief has not dimmed to the light of her beautiful, broken and loving heart.
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