Thanks Cliff

I was recently passing through Colorado Springs. As I was headed down I-25, I could not help but think of all the places where I spent so much time. It seemed that each highway sign had its own memory tied to it. Yet, it isn’t the places or the buildings I could see that really mattered. It was the friends I made. One of those people was a man named Cliff Anderson. Our first encounter was at the YoungLife office and I was volunteering. We had immediately hit it off when we learned that we shared the same birthday. Over the years, Cliff had become a brother, father figure, a believer in me, and role model. When I had decided to leave YoungLife Cliff was the first person I went to for advice and was the first person to support my personal choice believing whatever I did I would be good at it. When I learned a few years ago that Cliff had passed away, I felt a great sense of loss but, I also thought of all he had instilled in me. I remembered how he was the only person who could bring together both Catholics and Protestants in our community and talk about how we could work together to reach out to the communities unreached teens. When those of us doing disabled ministry had no real voice and it was a second best ministry Cliff had brought some much needed light to our work.

I wish today I could sit with him over a beer and some pizza and say thank you dear friend for all you did and gave to me. I will never forget our times together. Thanks Cliff.

Thoughts? E-mail: francisearly@francisearly.com