One of the things that I learned years ago was from author John Maxwell, he says that “Leadership is Influence.” And he is 100% correct. So when I made the decision to step away from my occupational ministry life and step fully back into the secular world, questions began to arise as to what my influence would be. And in a shocking way, God answered that question in of all places, Walt Disney World.
Frequent readers to this blog will know that my wife and I are full-on Disney Geeks. We accept that and all the ridicule and judgment that comes with being in love with a place built by a mouse, but that is beside the point. Being as passionate about Walt Disney World as we are, Sarah and I began to discern how we could still DO ministry in my post “occupational” ministry life. The answer came at an after dinner gathering at the “Top of the World Club” at Bay Lake Tower, next to the Contemporary resort, near the Magic Kingdom.
Walking away from “the church” also meant that we lost a LOT of our friends. Of course you COULD make the argument that just because we left the church doesn’t mean that we coouldn’t keep our friends..“ But that was not how it happened for us. When we left the church, we DID lose our friends. But that’s not ALWAYS the case.
But on this special night, we were surrounded by a group of people who accepted us for who we are, support and encourage us, and seek us out to spend time with and invest in our lives. And some of these people, we have had real, difficult discussions with. God brought us a new group of people that we can HAVE influence on and also BE influenced by! And it all made sense.
In the immortal words of my favorite Disney character Stitch, “This is my family, it is small, and broken, but still good…yeah, still good.” These are some of the people who I have to lean on and be a solid for them to lean on. These are people who I can confide in and be a confidence to. I have been blessed with some amazing relationships and I value each and every one. Much like some of our other great friendships, these people are AWESOME, and they are there for us.
The focus of my leadership may have shifted, but my call and my desire to serve is still strong and passionate today. I feel very blessed and humbled to allow these people to have influence on my life. And I hope to one day have some influence on theirs. I know that loving God and loving others makes God very happy, but I also think that Uncle Walt would be happy too.
Who has influence on YOUR life? Who are YOU influencing?
Tonight was a truly amazing evening. I spent time with my wife, a good friend, and two new friends I met a few weeks ago. I was filmed for a video segment for a Disney Blogger I respect and admire. We had an amazing meal at a truly unique restaurant. We missed a Disney Legend by 5 minutes. And we watched some holiday fireworks over Cinderella Castle. But it was the simple, little things that made this tremendous night special. But I am getting a little ahead of myself.
Dinner was off-the-chain. They don’t do anything small or simple. Good food, and lots of it, with a great vibe and cheap beer. After dessert Sarah and I were invited by Rick to watch the fireworks over Magic Kingdom from high atop the Bay Lake Tower Resort in the Top of the World Club. It’s a restaurant/bar that you can only get into if you are a Disney Vacation Club member or invited by a DVC member. Sid and I have never been to Bay Lake Tower, let alone the Top of the World Club…how could we resist?
But the Holiday fireworks were about to start and Disney magic is hard to pass on, no matter how disappointed you might be, so we popped outside and got our spots, and the show was amazing! It was even better than I had remembered from last year! And after they were over, we left the club, and then the resort, and parted ways.
