Hi everyone! I am sure most of you know by now, but for those of you who don't - Melissa and I are having a boy! His name is Josiah Alan Roediger. Josiah means - "Fire of the Lord". It truly is amazing how having a child changes your perspective on everything! Melissa has been pregnant for 6 months, but it didn't really click until we knew what it was or who he was. Now we know it's a he and his name is Josiah. I can't seem to go anywhere or do anything now without thinking "is what I'm doing right now something I would want my child to see or do?" or "What are other things I can do or change to better lead by example?". I've been inspired by some great people that have been great fathers, Brian Gray for example. He used to be a drug dealing musician in Anchorage before He and Paula (his wife) became saved. He became a mechanical engineer, and had 3(?) kids. He, Paula, his kids and some of their kids friends started the church "New Direction" which I would argue - launched - the local Christian music scene here in Anchorage. They ministered to street kids all over the city, and supported local christian musicians for many years before merging with Anchorage City Church. Brian's two sons - Aaron and Andrew Gray have been two of the most inspirational people to me. I got a chance to attend a couple of groups lead by Brian and he had mentioned that the reason his children have been as successful as they have been is primarily due to his purposeful attempts at raising his children in a house dedicated to the Lord! These kinds of things have been racing through my mind for the last 6 months and now as we get closer to the due date they just seem to accelerate.
We all as Christians ultimately strive to be like Jesus. He is the ultimate bar that we try to reach. It isn't uncommon for us to set bars that we try to reach that are not " the Jesus Bar" as long as we ensure those bars are in line to help climb closer to that ultimate goal. They are representative of people who inspire us, people we want to emulate. Jesus is and always will be the ultimate bar, but that bar is set so high that it is literally impossible to reach. God's grace ultimately guides us, but God also places people in our lives that we have relationships with (or just relate to from a far) that help keep us accountable and inspire us to be more like Christ. They are people that we perceive as wiser than ourselves, people who inspire us. I have been thinking a lot about these people who inspire me. Men who I perceive as being great role models and fathers for their children, and how can I be more like them. I am equally excited as I am terrified to have a Son. I get to play with cool toys again! I am also responsible for a life that I have no idea how to take care of. I pray to God that I don't screw it up.
As I have been reflecting lately on some of the men that have really inspired me: Brian Gray, Aaron Gray, Andrew Gray, Steve Holsinger, Josh Maddox, Joe and James Marchetti, Tim Sensibaugh, Mark Edington, Mark Burcell, Levi Johnson, Ron Barfeild, Robbie Gunther and more. I realize that if it weren't for Brian Gray and the church that he started, I may have never come to know 2/3 of this list. I remember being inspired as a musician watching bands like Arsis and Makeshift as they played at New Direction. I remembered being spiritually motivated by listening and watching Aaron, Brian, James, Josh, and Joe speak and/or lead Worship in a room full of street kids. I have been influenced as an audio engineer by working with and watching Aaron in the recording studio. Now that I am older, they have influenced me as an expectant father, I've gotten to watch (from a distance) them raising their kids and thinking to myself how much I'd like to be like them when I became a dad.
As we reflect on the people who inspire us pray and Thank God for the people who have inspired them. Where would FCC be if it weren't for the mentors that inspired Steve Holsinger to enter into ministry? Who would have been there for me (or all the other kids) when I was a punk kid going through stupid teenage dramas if it weren't for Brian Gray who was the father/mentor of all the guys at New Direction that influenced me through their Thursday night services. What would I be doing at this moment if it weren't for Tim Sensibaugh who mentored Ryan Thibault who was the primary reason for me changing my life to live for Christ and coming back to the church where I fell in love with my wife, who I am now having a child with? Thank God for the people who inspired our inspirers!I thank God that (as a soon to be father) he has placed good God fearing men in my life that I can look towards as solid examples when I have questions - In my walk, in my Marriage, and as a future father.
I pray that when I get older I can be like Brian Gray. I pray that my children have as large of an impact on others as his sons have had on me. I pray I can grow to be as wise as Steve Holsinger, not being held back by fear as he travels into hostile countries delivering the word of God to many nations, and leading a large and diverse multi-cultural church here in Anchorage Alaska. I pray that I can become more like Aaron Gray and develop the ability to accomplish the amount of things he does with the same skill and precision while still being a focused father, husband, Worship leader, band leader, recording engineer and audio mixer, and devoted pastor.but lets face it - that dude scares coffee away!
Who do you look up to? Who was their inspiration and mentor? Thank God for them.
Blessings,
David Roediger
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