My friend, Don Davis, made an investment in me. (That's Don above on the left with the interesting glasses. This is an old picture, but it carries a lot of meaning.) When I arrived in Atlanta as the Decatur church's new youth minister, Don had been holding down the Kingdom fort... so to speak. He had been standing in the gap as that church's youth minister. And when I arrived, Don stood solidly alongside me.Don is one of the smartest guys I know (PhD in Electrical Engineering from Georgia Tech)... and that means he's a lot smarter than me. But Don taught, encouraged, prayed, worked and ministered alongside me for almost 23 years, and he did so without ever reminding me that he was doing youth ministry before I got there. Don never put his ego above God's Kingdom possibilities. He invested time, creativity and friendship into me.
Don remains a dear friend and a deeply respected brother in Christ. I've said it before in other places, but everyone needs a Don Davis. A selfless ministry partner who always had my back... but didn't always agree with me or take my side. Don made me think harder, work better, be sharper and more fully use the gifts God had placed in me.
I plan to mention others who've made a difference in my life... along with their pictures. And by doing so I hope I'll cause you to recall, and thank if you haven't done so and are able to, those who have been used by God to make a difference in your life.
