Words From The Warden
Most weeks, I have no difficulty finding something to share in this column. This message, however, has been harder to write.
A couple of weeks ago, our two best painters told me they would be leaving at the end of our busy season. Marcelo and Damian have decided to return to Mexico with Marcelo’s wife.
Marcelo and Damian have been with us since 2016. They are excellent painters and even better men. Marcelo’s children have grown into wonderful young adults, and the entire family has become an important part of my life. I will miss them deeply.
Although they are legal residents, they are concerned that their status could be taken away at any time. That uncertainty has shaped their decision to leave.
Last week, Pastor Julia asked, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Her question brought back a memory from when I was six. My dad, the head basketball coach at Lima Bath High School, was being interviewed on the radio after a game. When the announcer asked if I wanted to become a coach like him, I answered with great conviction, “Nope, I want to be a cowboy!”
Life took me in directions I never could have imagined. I went on to counsel high school students, supervise convicted felons, officiate football around the world, and serve as an athletic administrator in a high-profile position. Then, in my fifties, I found my final career as a small business owner and painting contractor.
Today, being a cowboy doesn’t sound all that bad.
Throughout much of my life, one verse has sustained me: “I can do all things through Jesus who strengthens me.” For a long time, I did not fully understand that God was using those words to remind me that He was with me. He knew how deeply I doubted my own abilities. Whenever I asked, “Who am I that I should do this?” He answered through the mentors and friends He placed in my life.
Throughout my adult life, I have had the opportunity to carry the faith that strengthens me on Sunday into my work and daily activities during the rest of the week. In every job and endeavor, I have found ways to connect faith with everyday life. My hope is that, together, we can move beyond the physical walls of St. Luke’s and carry our love for God into a world where people are searching for connection, spirituality, and meaning.
When Damian, Marcelo, and I worked in people’s homes, we treated one another—and those we served—with genuine warmth and respect. Our conduct was more than simple kindness; it reflected a spirituality of work and a ministry grounded in competence.
I once read, “Your life may be the only Bible someone ever reads.” I like to believe that, through the way we worked and treated others, these two good men and I became an open Bible.
Peace,
Henry Zaborniak, Senior Warden