Uncle "Big John"
I don’t remember a time in my life that John Fleming wasn’t in it. I know intellectually that my Aunt Jan was married previously, but I was far too young to remember. As far as I am concerned, my uncle is John Fleming.
And Tuesday is his birthday. As think of “Big John” (what we all called him, because he was the tallest person we knew), I think of all that he invested in my life.
I thought that this would be a great study in realizing that our actions are being watched and learned by the young people, and others, in your life. Through the time that I have spent with John, and all of his investment in me, there are many lessons to learn.
So let’s talk about a few:
Books and Reading - John and I would LOVE to walk around books store and just, look around. I was also one of “those” kids who would always as for stuff, and to my recollection, John NEVER said “NO” to a book. He has a fascination with aviation, flying, old cars, and he STILL reads voraciously. John passed that love of reading on to me. I STILL just love to walk around and look at books. It’s humbling to be in the middle of a huge room of the words, thoughts, and dreams of other people.
Motorcycles and Cars- I have seen more than 1 picture of me on the back of John’s old motorcycles and I can remember taking LONG rides in John’s old corvette. In fact, one of my first words was “CY-KIN,” a baby derivative of “cycle” as in MOTOR CYCLE. Now, before you think my uncle has a fleet of cars and motorcycles, John owned his motorcycle way back in the early 70′s and got rid of it. His “old corvette” was just that, OLD, RESTORED, and MORE TROUBLE THAN IT WAS WORTH…but it sure LOOKED fine. And as I sat on motorcycles this weekend, daydreaming about the bike that I (and my wife) would some day soon own, I remembered falling asleep as John drove his bike in the Ohio countryside. (I didn’t say I was SMART as a kid. My fingers were locked in his belt loops and and I fell asleep…WHAT?)
A GREAT Work Ethic – Most of the time, when I was growing up, when I went to visit John, it was at “The Office,” or when he was working at a clothing store. I’m sure that, by today’s standards, John would be considered a work-a-holic. But John was just working as hard as he could, for as long as he could, to take care of his family. He taught me, through example, that you work as hard as you can, be loyal to your employer, and do you best, and it will come back to you.
Invest in the Community and People – If you walk around Wooster, Ohio, and you ask 10 people who John and Jan Fleming are, I’ll bet that 70% of the people you ask, will know them. John spent a lot of his time with different community organizations and he has invested heavily in the surrounding business and cultural landscape. John showed me that you need to be connected to as many people as you can to succeed. It reminds me of a motivational slogan I read years ago, “Help as many people as you can get where they want to go, and you will eventually get where YOU want to go.”
Always Help Your Family – I know that almost every member of my family has been helped, in MANY ways, by my uncle. Financially, spiritually, emotionally, physically, and in other ways, John has ALWAYS been there for me, and my whole family. He would always put his needs behind the other members of the family. His easy-going personality would always be reassuring and comforting. He taught me that being a man, is much more then just “bringing home the bacon.” It’s about loyalty, understanding, and respect, even in the face of adversity and the lack of loyalty, understanding, and respect.
You MUST love Jesus Christ – I cannot remember a time when Jesus was not a part of my life. Well before I decided to follow Christ, He was a huge part of my life. John and Jan helped start Church of the Savior, and I can remember going there to help set it up, so, in a way, John helped me become a chruch planter. God made a huge impact on me through Jon Fleming. His dedication to following Christ, being in a small group, and investing in the kingdom profoundly shaped my soul.
It’s a shame that we don’t tell people more, the things that are meaningful to them. I love my uncle and I cannot properly address my appreciation and admiration for him. I hate that I am in Atlanta and John, and most of my family, are all in Ohio. But as a birthday present, I thought that I would TRY to convey what a lifetime of love and investing into someone’s life returns to you. A MAJOR part of who I am and how I am, is because of the investment of my uncle.
And if theer is any lesson to be learned, it would probably be that we never really know the extent of what love, kindness, respect, and spending just a little time with someone will produce. Has John Flemming impacted the world? I KNOW he’s impacted mine, and that in itself, is a miracle.
