‘Holy Gusts’ and ‘Daily Freds’— Spiritual role models are everywhere. We just need to keep our eyes open.

By Richard Bimler

I read the obituaries this morning, which I usually never do. One simply stated, “Fred was an unsung hero, a steady worker who did things quietly. Lending a hand to others was nothing new for Fred. He loved people because he knew God loved him.” That was about all it said, but that says a lot.

Just as we make it a routine to thank God for our daily bread, we need to thank him for our “Daily Fred”—that person who moves quietly through our lives, inspiring us with goodness, if we only take a moment to let him or her.

After all, unlike sports heroes or Hollywood icons, spiritual role models don’t get a lot of fanfare these days. There isn’t a 24-hour cable channel dedicated to covering good deeds. But that doesn’t mean that those stories aren’t there for us to find. We just need to keep our eyes open.

I recently saw a T-shirt that read: “Until further notice, celebrate everything!” It struck me as more than just something to smile about; it was something to meditate upon. One of the best ways to fulfill this shirt’s wise message, I mused, is to seek out and celebrate those around us who are sharing the joy-filled message of Christ in little ways each and every day.

Take, for instance, Mr. Gust, one of my first everyday spiritual role models. Each week when I was growing up, he would always greet my family and share the joy of the Lord at the church where we all worshiped. Mr. Gust, to me, was “Jesus with skin on.” He no doubt volunteered his time for others and helped lots of older people, but the important thing to me was that he took the time to make me feel important. Mr. Gust was “Holy Gust” to me. I sensed the Spirit working through him, even when I was a child. I only wish I would have told him about the impact he made on my life before I read his name in the obituaries.

Recently, the Lord put a woman named Lena in my life at a wellness conference in Denver. One-hundred-year-old Lena had many gifts, the most remarkable of which was her joy for living. I asked her what the secret was to living a long life. A slight grin came to her face, her eyes started to sparkle and she simply said, “You know, I just get up every morning!”

Our friends in faith can be the easiest role models to overlook. But if we listen to their stories and take note of their attitudes toward life, we can be the better for it.

Whenever he has a bad day, a friend of mine has a habit of going to bed and praying, “Lord, I resign. That’s it. I give up.” As he sees it, if he wakes up the next morning, it must mean that God has not accepted his resignation!

My friend has taught me a great way to look at life. Instead of accepting our resignations, the Lord provides people around us—everyday spiritual role models—to love and forgive and affirm us. We all have “Holy Gusts” working in our lives. They may not be shouting their messages to us from billboards, but they’re surrounding us with ample opportunities to get a faith rejuvenation each and every day, if we’re only willing to look for them.

Thanks, Lord, for those Holy Gusts! Thanks for the Daily Freds who quietly inspire us. “What a friend we have in Jesus”—and what a Jesus we have in friends.

Dr. Richard Bimler and his wife, Hazel, are blessed with three adult children and seven grandkids. He is currently ambassador of health, hope and aging for Lutheran Life Communities.