Semper Fi - "Always Faithful" But Not Alone - Your Life's Work: Part 8 of 10
My close friend Shane Copeland is an interesting bloke. He is a long-haired, biker looking, cowboy-boot wearing guy who served in the Marines as a reconnaissance soldier. He enjoys reading 300-page historical tomes and novels of all varieties, from Harry Potter to Zane Grey, and he listens to the twangy sounds of country music. As president of my high school student council, Shane was voted most likely to become president of the United States (or was it "most likely to take over the presidency of the United States"? I can't remember). Either way, he went on to play basketball in college, took his stint in the tough world of the Marines, and ended up wearing white shirts and ties for Vanguard as a financial advisor for several years. Soon, he has since been ordained an Anglican priest. In other words, Shane is a virtual Mulligan Stew of interests and experiences. He'd say he's eclectic. He is certainly the only guy I know that could convince me to give country music a try with an open mind. Heck, he even talked me into a road trip to see Buck Owens at the Crystal Palace in Bakersfield, CA a few years ago. Shane is also the only guy I know who can worship God with a loving heart and also kill a battalion of enemy infantry with a small knife and a canteen.
Yes, Shane is a passionate guy. When he sets his mind to do something, it gets done. But one thing I appreciate most about Shane is that he understands his need for other people. Often in our search for purposeful work, we engage in the endeavor on our own and this can be a costly, painful mistake. Like Shane, we need others to speak into our process; we need others to consider the things we may not have recognized on our own. We also need others to encourage and confirm us in our strengths. And finally, we need others to do those things in our endeavor we are not able to do. So I'm glad to know my cowboy boot wearing, long-haired Marine-tattooed priestly friend. Without unique friends like Shane, I would get bored in a world full of guys just like me.
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