"Who's the Wise Guy?"

Wise Guys...

Over the past two days, I’ve had eight face-to-face meetings with business partners within our Foundation. Each conversation was meaningful, each person unique. These are men and women undeniably called by God into distinct businesses and ministries, yet united by a common mission: to impact the world around them for Christ.

But my final meeting today stood out. It was a quiet personal meetup, and it was powerful.

This particular man has been a mentor and coach to me for the past two years. We haven’t spent tons of time together, but the time we have spent has been of the highest quality. He knows me. I mean to the core of me. My strengths and gifts. My goals and desires. My stories, both the inspiring ones and the messy ones.

Our conversation today touched on a lot of topics. But I paused to tell him something important.

Yes, he’s considerably older than me. Yes, he’s wise.
Yes, he’s trained to ask great questions and offer strong feedback.

But none of those are what make him unforgettable.

What he isn’t trained to do, what doesn’t show up on his résumé, is something you can see in his eyes the moment he sits across from you.

He cares.
He really, truly cares.

It’s in the way he looks at you. The way his eyes respond to the words you speak. The way he notices how you’re sitting, how your shoulders carry the day. The way he hears even what you didn’t say about the issues or opportunities you're discussing. 

He gives away what God has given him, not just on the outside—but from within. His presence is a gift. A donation of the heart. And that kind of offering can’t be measured. It’s priceless.

I saw two verses from Hebrews come to life in him today:

Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. — Hebrews 13:1
Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. — Hebrews 13:7

May we each take something from this and apply it to our next conversation.

Let our goal not simply be to provide wisdom or insight.
Let our goal be to love. To care deeply for the person across from us.
Let us watch those who live out their faith well and let their lives be a beacon of hope to follow.

Thank you for the dedicated time today, and for being an example.
You know who you are.
I appreciate you, wise guy. 

-Mark