I had a great dad. I know that isn’t everyone’s story, but it’s mine and I’m forever grateful. I also had other men who blessed me by speaking into my life. They encouraged me, lived their lives as an example, or offered grace and wisdom in times of distress.
DeWayne Jennings.
Mike Williams.
Norris Spenser.
Those men informed my teen years. Oh, my dad was always the gold standard, but those three loomed large in those formative years. They lived what they believed and, with feet of clay, directed me and so many others toward One whose mercy is renewed each day.
Today, though, I want to talk to you about Gene Strother.
I met Gene in a strange season of my life. I’d gone through a horrible divorce that had left me feeling hollowed out and weary. My faith was little more than a remnant of what it had been. I had never stopped believing, but I no longer felt the hope of the Author’s hand in my life. I was scraping by day-to-day but, honestly, I didn’t know who I was anymore.
Gene became a friend, a mentor, a pastor, and something of a therapist for me. I never felt the need to impress Gene…or to be better than I was. He understood broken people. He never looked down on me for needing so much work. He never made me feel like a dumb kid…even though I still was. Instead, he partnered with me for ministry-related things. He discussed my writing with me, the authors I was drawn to, and the ever-changing world of publishing. Gene took an interest in me. And he invested himself.
A few years later, when I married my best friend and forever love, Heidi Lemarr, Gene officiated, using my dad’s bible for the service. Dad was gone by then and Mom had just suffered a stroke. But there was Gene, honoring Dad with his kind words and walking Heidi and me through the vows we still cherish.
I chose the quote that opened this piece not because I think Gene is one of the “lesser men” but because I imagine he sees himself through that sort of humility. But he is all about building others—from his grandchildren to his colleagues—into the resilient sort of people who leave an impact on the world. And he does it all with a wry sense of a humor and the sort of ornery gumption only a true Texan possesses.
I recently made a collage portrait of Gene…my first attempt at such a thing, in fact. I told Gene I had something for him, but a couple of months rolled by before I got it in the mail. He received it just a few days shy of his birthday. Providence at work.
If you’re ever blessed enough to meet Gene Strother, know that you’ll be meeting a husband, a father, a grandfather, a poet, a storyteller, a successful businessman, a pastor, a teacher, and so many other things I likely don’t know them all. But you’ll also be meeting my friend. And I promise you’ll be better for it.
Happy Birthday, Gene. Thanks for being a real one.
