Love just spilled out of him

About a four-minute read

“Did you hear that Steve St. Clair went to Jesus a few hours ago?” 

The text sat me down. Wonder, grief, joy, reflection washed over me. If you know “Saint” you know what I mean. I texted yet another friend, “Heaven benefits. He perhaps had more impact on me than any other single man.”

Heaven benefits. And so did hundreds, thousands whose lives were touched by “Mr. Saint.” If you knew him, you know what I mean.

Questions and thoughts do come to mind. Like how did he impact so many? 

For me, Steve was a coach, teacher, mentor, coworker, and friend. He was a staff member at Faith Academy in Manila who loved MKs, Filipinos, and the church. 

So, how could one person so profoundly impact so many people in such a positive way? In reflection, surely it has a lot to do with his authentic love, his ability to make one feel they were significant and treasured, and his vision of who you could become. 

In other words, he was a man who loved Jesus so much that Jesus just kind of spilled out of him and soaked you. And that was a lot of Jesus because there was a lot of Steve. When he hugged me, my face would be planted somewhere between his solar plexus and his navel. 

I have so many life-impacting memories of Steve they can’t possibly fit into a four-minute read. But a couple I’ll share . . .

Moody Bible Institute. I am a student in bed taking a much needed nap. I hear a roar. Ripped from rest, I gasp as I see a HUGE human form plummeting through the air, spread-eagle, instantly crushing me with weight and wet warmth. On furlough, Steve visited Faith grads all across the country. Usually unannounced and unexpected. Always welcomed. I loved feeling loved.

A jungle in Laguna Province (or Quezon?). Steve has the brilliant idea of taking four or five MKs along with four or five Filipino Christian youth to clear jungle for a school for the deaf. About a week of jungle-mud, wildlife crawling across my legs in the middle of the night, and leeches. (I think my record was 14 leeches–at one time!) 

Life-changing. Worldview-expanding. Relationship-building. When Mr. Saint dropped me off at home, he looked me in the eyes and said, “Thank you, Steve, for being a part of the trip.” When I responded, “You’re welcome,” I realized I should have been thanking him. And I determined I would always try to thank others, even if perhaps they could be thanking me.

I wonder if perhaps we sometimes make things like spiritual influence, discipling, and mentoring more complicated than it needs to be.

I mean, if the “secret” of Steve’s incredible impact on countless people was his authentic love, his ability to make one feel they were significant and treasured, and his vision of who you could become, why should it be any different for me and you?

In love with Jesus, we love. Significant and treasured by Jesus, we invest like-value into other people’s lives, seeing others as Jesus sees them. Knowing that Jesus has given us everything we need for life, godliness, and the fulfillment of his purposes for his glory, we can also envision what God is doing to form himself in those he brings within our reach.

Steve St. Clair, thank you for thanking me for joining you on that leech-infested jungle trip. Thank you for touching my life with Jesus’ love. Thank you for helping me press into what I can become because of who Jesus was to you.