A great come from behind story . . .

As painful as this illustration is going to be to my dad it really serves my purpose here.  Did you see the greatest come back in NBA finals history last night?!?!?! The Celtics took it to my father's beloved Lakers.  Down by 24 points at one point the Celtics staged a monumental comeback on their opponents court. It was classic comeback and it took the heart right out of the Lakers.  People had already tuned out the game, but that didn't stop the Celtics. I want to draw a parallel between last night's game and the story of Chuck Garner.   

All my life i have heard my dad say, "I am proud of you for [fill in the blank]." Whether it was Boy Scouts, Report Cards, Overseas Missions Trips, Basketball Trophies, Prose, Sermons, or my epic journey to a doctorate degree.  Each time he was there showering me with praise.   And although he liked nothing below a B he still found ways to

encourage the best in me.  He never missed a graduation (Indianapolis, Stockton, San Jose, Boston).  He never missed a chance to tell everyone I was his son.  At times he was downright embarrassing.  Yelling at the top of his lungs, screaming at referees.   He had VCR Cameras when you needed a shoulder pack to shoot the film.   We had to take motion sickness pills just to watch the videos.  After every game he bought everyone Pizza.  He showed up to almost every tournament.   He loved all my friends; to this day I think he talks to James almost as much as me.

I noticed that as my life changed so did his.  My last Boy Scout meeting was his.  When I graduated basketball and left it behind he quit going.  When I started preaching he would show up if he was within a 50-mile radius of where I was.  He would cry listening to me preach. (Not sure if it was because of how bad I was, how merciful God was in that no one threw me off the stage, or if he saw a little of himself in me).  He would hug me afterwards and tell me what a masterpiece it was.  I always knew the truth but i liked to hear him say it.

One night after a service where Dannie Hood and I had preached he came down to the altar area and started counting how many people were receiving the Baptism of the Holy Spirit.  He held up all ten fingers as he mouthed to me "10 people so far!" I looked around and there were only 5 or 6 people in the altar. I don’t know maybe he was counting himself as 5 or 4 people (smile).

We went through some rough times as a family.  We weren’t perfect. Things didn’t work out for mom and dad.  I love them both.   He experienced a lot of disappointments in life.  Made some mistakes. Mistakes that he admits to this day.  Traversed through some valleys that scathed and scorched him. But I would have to say that he is giving me a much, much, much better life and legacy than the one he had as a child.  I would have to say that through struggle and failure, fight and loss he made sure that he left me with a better life than the one he was left with.  I would have to say that he broke some curses, fought off some demons, buried bitterness and was incessantly positive and full of faith.  For almost thirty years he experienced a lot of ups and downs, spiritual disappointments, financial setbacks, consequences of some negative decisions.  He was down by 24 points (sorry dad, I know how much you love Kobe, but in this story you are KEVIN GARNETT), and then he staged the comeback of a lifetime.

Five years ago I started my first pastorate and he came to hear me preach (in SF) and see the church.  I used an illustration about a Hang-glider who had missed the window of opportunity and couldn’t jump because the winds had changed.  I challenged the church to not let opportunities pass them by.  After the service my dad, 60 years of age, said, “I can’t rewrite my past.  I can’t change yesterday.  BUT I can finish strong.  I have a window of opportunity as long as i am breathing.  I can do all the things I dreamed about and go out on top of my game.  I am going back to San Diego and I am going to plant a church.”

He left and he did.  A few months later he called me and said, “I am going back to school and I am going to get my Masters Degree.  I always wanted one.”  He went back to school.  There were a couple people who really tried to discourage him with comments like, “He failed 30 years ago he should leave well enough alone.”  Another laughed at him and said, “Chuck, you can’t be serious.  Who will take you serious.”  Most of them meant well I’m sure, although there was the one guy who was down right evil (that’s a whole story in itself).   But in the face of all of that he planted a church AND went back to school and . . .

Tomorrow he graduates with a Master's Degree in Theology from Bethel Seminary.

“Dad, I am proud of you.”

--Jeff

my kids drew the following for him.

Comments

[Brian LePort]

Congratulations Chuck Garner! You are an inspiration.

[Julio Meida]

Great story of finishing well! Very inspiring.

[Thaddeus Lee, III]

I love you Pastor Chuck! You are an inspiration to me!

[CJ]

Congrats Chuck! Great post Jeff.

[Brian Roam]

Wonderful come back story! love it!

[Dave Gray]

Chuck, great job! A real achievement. You are an inspiration to this 'old' guy to get up and do something I've needed to do for a long time!

Jeff, a wonderful post.

[Chris Higginbottom]

I'm a little biased because Jeff is my cousin, which then makes Chuck my uncle. However over the last six years during a period of my life when I really needed a man of God, and don't say that lightly. My uncle Chuck was there for me. He loved me like a son, encouraged me, pushed me, prayed for me, we even worked together. I am, and will be eternally grateful for him. And Jeff is not too shabby either (smile). I'm proud to be family not in just the spiritual but the physical too. May we continue to be available to God for His will no matter how perplexing it may be to us.

PS I cried at that graduation. I know I’m a sap, however it inspired me to go back to college too. I’m in my fifth week for my Master in Accounting, eventually my CPA, and then I will take over the world. HA!