influence

in my recent devos the author encouraged the readers to think of the 3 greatest influences in their lives. as i recollected of the last 21 (almost 22) years I realized that i have alot more than 3 great influences. as i wrote the list grew. i had my cliche answers: mom, dad, step dad, grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc. which they are huge influences in my life. My mom is honestly the most influential person in my life. She is so godly and loving, looks at people the way Christ does, without judgement. It is something I desire to do as well.
But as I thought back on the years there was one person that stood out. I had to think back, but once he came to mind, I knew he definitely fit the list of the GREATEST influences.
Let me share...
in 1994 a family moved in next door. they had three daughters. this house separated me and my best friend in the whole world (true story...been best friends for 18 years =) ) anyhoo, they moved in and me and jess thought it would be fun to meet them. to be honest i don't remember the initial introductions but over time our neighbors daughter, jessica, me and jess become inseparable. Now if you have grown up in a military family you know that neighbors get really close, that's all you got sometimes. I spent many nights out with my girls..haha and i was only 6. but seriously it felt like we were sisters. our dads were way close, all worked together. moms were close. it was like a movie. This whole set-up to tell the story of Clay Stark, Jessica's dad.
...He was so gentle and cared so much, not in that creeper way..promise. The first time I remember him looking at me with compassion, the same look my daddy gave me, was when my mom had to take daddy to the hospital in the middle of the night. Clay and Tracey came to get me and em and let us sleep over. the next morning, gently not to wake me he carried me back home, tucked me in, whispered "i love you", and kissed my forehead. He was like a second dad to me, i cherished his opinion and desired to make him happy. This is how it was for almost two years, my fairytale life.
in feb 1996 when my world got rocked, clay was there at the hospital...that night. clay and tracey came, my best friends mom came. You know that saying "they all came running" my second parents did...they rushed over. The days and weeks later, throw the blur of it all I remember clay coming over and just hanging with me. He would take me to the park and to lunch, anything to give me normalicy. he even went house hunting with us a few times. when we finally found a plcae, he made sure he was there to move me into my new room.
Time went on, my fairytale world had to end sometime. Clay and Tracey moved a few months later and the rest is history. But I will never forget Clay. He made everything "okay". He loved me when he didn't have to. The whole Stark family has a special place in my heart.

If I could tell Clay one thing today, it would be that he had a huge impact on my life. One of my greatest influences.

"You don't have to be a "person of influence" to be influential.
In fact, the most influential people in my life are probably not even
awre of the things they have taught me."~ Scott Adams