This is part FOUR of a seven post blog – HELPFUL HINTS. Check back each Monday for new submission

Exactly 12 years ago, I took two vans full of students from church to ACQUIRE THE FIRE – Teen Mania’s event in Baltimore, MD hosted by Ron Luce. Nearly 12,000 people were packed in the Convention Center like sardines enjoying a wild weekend and after the band played out walked this 6″7 guy who both talked and chalked. He was AMAZING and he lifted Jesus UP and brought the house down at the same time!

When the invitation was given for folks to respond to faith in Christ scores went forward. I was so pumped and I RECOGNIZED immediately that God was using www.SamGlenn.com in a special way. Blown away by the service I wanted to go forward (again) not for trusting Christ but to shake the hand of the one that was used by God and inspired thousands (including me).

That evening, I recall asking a ministry leader near me whom was with another group what he thought about the speaker who just exited the stage. As long as I live I will never forget his response. He rolled his eyes, shrugged his shoulders and couldn’t find a compliment with a magnifying glass to save his life said with a smirk: “He was nothing special.”

CONFESSION: I was shocked, stunned and saddened. Fortunately, I didn’t respond in the flesh because by faith two wrongs never make a right. By grace, I remained silent verbally but in my mind I was reminded of Arnold from Diff’rent Strokes: “WHAT YOU TALKING ABOUT WILLIS?” Nothing special?! What planet are you from? What game were you watching? This guy next to me had a problem and it was PRIDE. This brother from another mother in the cheap seats couldn’t recognize nor celebrate the gifting of another without feeling inferior. Without question, I am not the sharpest tool in the shed but what Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, Ronnie Milsap, Helen Keller & I at that very moment all had in common was that we could SEE that God just used that agent of the Gospel (Sam Glenn) to touch thousands for His Glory.

As “Teen Mania” rolled out to the next city I gathered up my youth I was entrusted with while on staff at a local church and got them in the vans. I was pumped and perplexed. PUMPED because en route to the vehicles God already gave me a vision to invite Sam to an upcoming YOUTH RALLY. Perplexed because some anonymous clergy in the crowd threw water on my fire for 1) knocking down a guy I admired but didn’t even know 2) he missed the entire message and mission of that weekend outreach to see countless folks both begin and continue with their journey with Jesus.

Tom Hanks starred in SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE but this brother I just spoke to obviously was BLIND IN BALTIMORE. No sooner had I put on my seatbelt, triple counted the youth in both vans, started the vehicle, threw it in drive to head home I immediately got on the two way radio and shared my vision and excitement to invite Sam to come in the next calendar year to do a YOUTH RALLY for our church.

I gave the announcement and just knew both vans would go CRAZY! Drum Roll Please, rockets ignite, we have lift off…………CRASH & BURN. You could hear a pin drop. I knew our van was silent but was the radio not transmitting sound from the other vehicle? DEAD ON ARRIVAL. Not because of the radio but the response of those that received it.

Finally, someone two rows behind me in the 12 passenger I was driving said: “Pastor Frank – (cleared their throat), Sam just spoke to over 10,000 people why would he accept coming to our youth group running less than 100?” Holy smokes, we go from mutiny on the ship to a mass exodus in the church vans.

Now I have two doubting Thomas’ on my hands – an unknown youth minister and two vans full of students whom I am chaperoning. Our teens recognized the potential but didn’t receive it because their lack of faith. Both of their negative comments were now bouncing in my head like teens on a trampoline.

FACT: Not everyone will RECOGNIZE the gifts of others or your assignment in life. MARK THIS DOWN: You cannot let anyone babysit your baby (i.e. calling, children, dreams, goal or God given assignment). In the words of Jack Nicholson: “Some can’t handle the truth.”

Truth be told I was so tempted and confused by their response (lack of enthuisiasm) that I almost didn’t even call Sam’s secretary the next week. God already gave me the assignment and I was tempted to guage my follow through with their reactions. Never let emotion dictate devotion.

Early the next week, I called Sam’s office just outside of Chicago, IL and inquired what it would take to bring him in? Well, he didn’t come once afterall. HE CAME TWO YEARS IN A ROW!!! Somebody say: “AMEN!” Never let others distract you from your destiny.

In two years (2000-2001), we hosted Sam and by God’s grace we did two county-wide outreaches with nearly 100 souls saved from over a dozen churches bringing their teens to our rally. Pretty amazing with a shoe-string budget and little emotional support. Remember this, God and you will always be the majority (regardless of what the minority says). Both events went over really well and Sam and I hit it off.

He heard that I was wanting to travel and preach more and encouraged me to send him a video. A week later I did and I honestly thought I would never hear back. Not because he was rude but that he was too busy or I needed a lot of work. A month later, I received a call from him while I was on staff with the Governor of Maryland’s Office and a bi-vocational minister with the local church. He said: “Frank, I get scores of sermons of folks wanting me to watch and listen. I have seen so many I catch some of the beginning, glance at part of the middle and maybe a couple minutes at the end and can get a feel of where they are at and what they need to improve on.” He then said: “I don’t recall this ever happening but I started watching your video and 40 minutes later when it was over I realized I never got off the couch. I watched the entire thing and I have an offer for you.”

First the students in my youth group were speechless in the van that night departing Baltimore but I am now silent on the phone. He says: “Frank, are you there?” Dazed but no dummy I said: “Yes! I’m here!! He said: “I’m picking five speakers to be part of the National Christian Youth Speakers Network. He had selected two female speakers that would be part of the roster and one was Gina, former Miss Colorado and Tara the current Miss Missouri. Both girls were SOLD OUT for JESUS!

Sam had spoken for a couple years as the main speaker for “Acquire the Fire.” He was also blessed to speak at events for Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, led chapels for professional sports teams and was keynote speaker at DAY ONE. The largest indoor Christian youth rally in USA at the time hosted by Teen Mania. Over 82,000 showed up at the Pontiac Silver Dome and he was the main speaker!

He then says: “Frank, I would like for you to be VP of the National Christian Youth Speakers Network. I was stunned. The guy that I RECOGNIZED from the nose bleeds of the Baltimore Convention Center now wants me to share the stage with him at future ministry events! WORD UP: A mentor can do more for you in a day than you can on your own in a decade.

I quickly accepted and we began to communicate on a frequent basis. We did several events in the midwest, north east and DC, MD, VA and in Tampa, FL. I even went to his CHALK CAMP in Indiana for a week in 2002.

In 2003, he opened the door for me to speak two nights in a row at the Virginia Youth Evangelism Conference to 7,000 at VCU with Rebecca St James as the singer and Sam was the main speaker. To his credit, he gave me ten minutes both nights. That night when the invitation was given it was the sweetest sound (outside a baby crying or folks praising Jesus)I ever heard. Over 600 students came out of their seats and didn’t walk but almost RAN down the metal bleachers to make public professions for Christ and it sounded like RAIN on a tin roof. Truly, music to my ears!

Previously, I had daydreamed of preaching on a larger stage (not to be seen but that the Gospel be heard) but now in the moment I was on both jumbo-tron screens speaking at that packed venue I recall with tears rolling down my eyes it was all by God’s grace and Sam’s generosity that I was there. QUESTION: What if I had let the negativity of another or lack of enthusiasm from a group make me less passionate about what God called me to do?

The following year, Sam was invited to do another outreach for a large youth event and DAVID CROWDER BAND performed both days. Sam graciously opened the door again for me to get up and preach not once but both days! GO GOD!! It has been said: “Greatness is doing something for another that they could never do for you or repay.”

PRAY to be a hinge that OPENS DOORS for others. During the darkest days of my life he kept in touch and God used him in a BIG way to minister to me. The guy who spoke to hundreds of thousands on the mountain took time to minister to me personally in my valley. At one corporate event in VA he was booked to speak and I came to support him from the back. My rationale was if he would fly all the way from Chicago I could at least drive an hour to see him.

That night, Sam was wearing something I never saw him adorn before. He wasn’t one to normally wear jewelry but I could see it clearly from the audience a ring that resembled one won from a Super Bowl! As always, the crowd went crazy after his message and later that evening we grabbed dinner after the program. During dinner I said: “Sam, I love that ring. It looks like a SUPER BOWL ring where did you get that?” He laughed and said: “Not long ago I did an event for JOSTENS and they have been called on to design many of the recent NFL Super Bowl Rings. They told me if I wrote on a piece of paper what I wanted (outside the logo of a NFL team) they would make me a ring instead of paying me for that event.

It was gorgeous and something Elvis would have worn! It was 14kt gold with 41 small diamonds and at the top of the face of the ring noted: “CHAMPION FOR LIFE.” In the middle laying on the diamonds was a red number one. He let me wear it for a moment and it weighed a ton. I asked him what it stood for and he replied: “At 6″7 walking through the airport I get stopped all the time and folks ask me what team I play for? I share with them that since I accepted Jesus as my Savior – I’m a “Champion for Life” and the red reminds me of the blood that shed on Calvary’s cross and the NUMBER ONE reminds me to place God FIRST daily in my journey.

What a testimony! I said: “It was beautiful” and handed it back to him. After a meal, we slapped each other five and I headed home. I was going through a dark valley during that period and two weeks after re-connecting with Sam I received a FED EX box in the mail. I opened it up and it was a black velvet box with a hand-written note: “Frank, I don’t normally wear the ring because it is TOO BIG but just happened to have it on that night. As long as I have known you I recall you saying: “God put us first – we need to put Him first.” I think the ring would look better on you. Enjoy! – Sam Glenn

That is one of the kindest gifts I have ever received. Not just in value but kindness! The Greats are Gracious and Sam is both. Over the years, we have had some wondeful experiences together. To date, we have now co-authored SIX books together I had the privilege to officiate his wedding in Chicago and he was the BEST MAN at my wedding!

What would have happened if I let a stranger that night in Baltimore zap my joy or the call of God on my life. The Bible says: “David ENCOURAGED himself in the Lord.” Friends, in the wise words of Dr Johnny Hunt: “We need to stay CLOSE and CLEAN for us not to miss a step with our Master.”

Today, October 3, 2011, once again Sam flew in town from Chicago and he spoke at 3PM at an event in Baltimore, MD. He called to tell me he was in town and we connected for lunch before his talk at the gorgeous Rennaisance Hotel overlooking the Inner Harbor. Ironically, we were two blocks from where I first heard him speak (Baltimore Convention Center) and that night Sam spoke on the same stage I saw Elvis Presley sing (12 concerts before his death) in June 1977.

Today, at Sam’s event – as always he brought the house down! Over a decade later, I left Baltimore tonight and praised God for bringing Sam Glenn in my life. Yes, he is 6″7 but will always be TEN feet tall to me.

Lois Fitzpatrick told me years ago: “It is a small man who cannot celebrate the talents of others.” So the next time you are tempted to be jealous or block out the obvious gift of another may we pause, praise God and push ahead to mature as Christians in the process. POINT WELL TAKEN: We don’t have to be better than others but our lives should become BETTER when our paths cross. Don’t cop out but be on the LOOK OUT to see the value of others. The next time you are tempted to agonize or criticize try to RECOGNIZE instead.

Sam Glenn had me share with his national audience last week on his GO POSITIVE Leadership University radio show in Chicago, IL to his corporate audience. You can enjoy that segment on Life, Leadership & Love here http://us1.campaign-archive1.com/?u=51bcca364f7cb9c3431601ca7&id=0417821ed2&e=