Your “Randy”
On a blog that I read, the author posed the question, “Who is the next Billy Graham?”
What followed was a stream of responses arguing for this guy or that guy. Outside of several nominations for Rick Warren, my thought as I read the responses was, “nobody out of the Christian subculture has even heard of these guys!”
But then, that got me to thinking: why do we need the “next Billy Graham”? If every Christian alive just made a meaningful impact on one life, that’s thousands of times more effective than the ministry of Billy Graham. (and don’t take that as a slam on Billy Graham, i have only respect).
A couple weeks ago, a friend was at my house, and we were reminiscing about our good friend Randy Shafer, who passed away just before Christmas. I was telling him about the last conversation I had about Randy over coffee at Starbucks, and about how we laughed so much, until just before I got in the car and he told me one last thing… and we said goodbye.
And my friend said something like this, “Randy Shafer was the first guy that made me think, ‘if that’s what being a Christian looks like, than I want to be more like him.”
What a huge compliment to Randy and how he lived his life! Anyway, please comment and share with us your answer to this question:
“Who has been your ‘Randy’?”
May 20th, 2009 at 10:43 am
Randy was my Randy
May 20th, 2009 at 12:05 pm
The awesome thing is that there are probably a LOT of people who can say that Randy was their Randy! What a legacy!
May 20th, 2009 at 10:27 pm
Randy, was also MY Randy! What a major theme and legacy for such an amazing man! Randy was with me soon after the loss of my very young, 32 year old husband. Such a terrible loss in my life, yet Randy…just being Randy, always had the words to say. He also knew when words were not needed, and was always “just there”, in those times. Randy was and is such a gift to all of us who have been truly blessed to know him. That legacy lives on with and through his family!
May 20th, 2009 at 10:59 pm
It will be hard to be a Randy. He was the anti-crusader, picking people off one at a time, slowly, over years if necessary. You have to be born with patience like that, don’t know if you can learn it. I know maybe one other person who will commit so much time to making others feel totally unique and special. Who has that blend of wit, integrity, mischieviousness, intelligence, compassion, desire, wisdom, etc. And she’s a she and she isn’t even all that old, and she wouldn’t want to be named. But I think she has it and I know she is affecting people for Christ, one at a time. She hasn’t been my Randy, Randy was, but knowing what it means to be a Randy, I am thrilled for those she is connecting with.
I wish Randy was still here.
May 21st, 2009 at 1:53 am
Not to be repetitive, but Randy was my Randy! Loved and missed.
May 21st, 2009 at 1:34 pm
There isn’t a day that passes without thinking about Randy S. and what his impact on my life has been. When I was just testing the waters, still wondering what diving in would mean, he was already in the current, showing me how incredible it is to swim. The way Randy could challenge me to look inward, to face my fears and to become a better person, without ever a hint of judgment is unmatched by any person I’ve ever known. I miss him deeply, but still have a sense that he is with me. I hear his voice when I’m facing those demons from the past. I’m so thankful that I was given a chance to know him.