1 Corinthians 11:1 – “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.”
I was flipping through my wedding registry album when I had to stop and smile. My thumb traced a familiar signature, and memories came rushing back.
Suddenly, I was fourteen again, sitting in a metal chair at youth group, nervous and unsure, my sister beside me. He and his wife, Ashley, made us feel welcome, like we belonged before we even knew how. That was when Jonathan Barbo became my pastor.
I can still see the grin on Barbo’s face when I was accepted to college, as if I had won a gold medal. Later, when I returned to serve in youth ministry, I witnessed firsthand the time and energy he and his wife poured into students’ lives.
Through camps, lock-ins, and late nights filled with laughter and scripture, He just showed up and cared. That presence left a mark on me that I still carry.
The hardest memory is when my mom passed away too soon. And there they were again, Barbo and Ashley, standing with me in the hospital, carrying some of the weight I could not carry on my own.
Years later, he showed up in a new way—as my CrossFit instructor. Those workouts were brutal, but even then, he kept teaching me lessons about resilience that stretched beyond the gym.
Back in the present, I traced his name in the registry again, remembering him at the front of the church on my wedding day. He officiated the ceremony. Who else could have filled that role?
Barbo had been my pastor. He was there in the mess, in the victories, in the losses, and everyday in between.
Looking back, I realize what his example taught me: life is not about grand gestures. It is about walking with people. It requires time, energy, and sometimes sacrifice. And yet, it leaves a mark that does not fade.
Paul once told others to follow him because he followed Christ. I see that now. Barbo’s name is in that album because he chose to follow Jesus, and that made all the difference in my life.
Maybe that is the quiet question worth asking today: whose life are you walking alongside? And whose album might someday carry your name, remembered with a smile because you showed up?
A MOMENT TO REFLECT
- Who has walked with you through life in a way that pointed you closer to Jesus?
- How has their example shaped the way you live out your faith?
- Whose life might you be called to walk alongside right now?
- What small, consistent ways could you show up for someone this week—just as others have shown up for you?