I was this close (due to the limitations of the written word you will have to use your imagination to picture your little finger and thumb being held very close together) to being on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno this March. It all began ten years ago . . . I remember it like it was yesterday (picture me rubbing my chin and a blurry fade-out to the past on the screen of your mind’s eye). I was interim youth pastor at my home church, 1st Baptist Poway, for a couple of months while my traveling schedule was slow in the winter. One of the youth, Andy Shirley, would ask me questions about playing guitar and writing songs. He gave me demos he was working on for suggestions. Later on he went to Cal Baptist University and changed his name (as many musicians do these days) to Andrew, then to Drew. Sean Coombs changed his name to Puff Daddy and then to P. Diddy. I was glad Andy did not go with Drew Diddy, although I was kind of pulling for Drew Wah Diddy Diddy Dum Diddy Drew. Drew formed a group called Altogether Separate that got signed and was actually nominated for best new group of the year at the Dove Awards (the Christian version of the Grammys). They lost to an obscure group called Third Day! I had the opportunity a few years ago to be the speaker at a series of camps up on Big Bear Mountain with Altogether Separate. The last week I brought one of my electric guitars and my foot pedals and jammed a little with them. Drew saw and heard one of my guitar pedals, which he did not have and they probably do not make anymore, and asked if he could borrow it. Since I’m not in a band anymore, I said sure. A little over a year ago, Altogether Separate broke up and, true to their name, became all together separate. Another group from San Diego heard that Drew was available and asked him to play lead guitar for them. Their name – Switchfoot! The musical guest on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on March 12 was Switchfoot. I taped the show and when they zoomed in on Drew towards the end . . . THERE WAS MY FOOT PEDAL ON THE SET OF THE TONIGHT SHOW!!! I was this close . . . if only I had never separated with my guitar foot pedal. I called Drew a few weeks later. He was on tour in Atlanta at the time and as we were speaking he got word that their song "Meant to Live" went #1 in Canada. Since that time, I have heard the song all over TV - not only on the music shows like MTV. Even ESPN used it as background to one of their "Top Ten Play" lists.The band was formed by a couple of neat Christian guys whose dad is a pastor in San Diego. I think back to whatever little bit of encouragement I could be to Andy-Andrew-Drew and now see him literally playing guitar for millions of people! God is using this humble and genuine Christian in mighty ways. You never know the impact you can have on someone . . . and many times I’m sure you never will know this side of heaven. But I am convinced that when you do take the time to encourage others and help "the least of these," God has promised He will use those efforts to make an eternal difference for the Kingdom (I Cor. 15:58). As Switchfoot sings, "You were meant to live for so much more . . . we want more than this world has to offer." This world and its promises will let you down. If you want more than the false hopes of this world – you want Jesus!
Did I tell you about the time I was this close (you know the mental drill) to being on Letterman? Two months ago the musical guest was Switchfoot. I taped it and . . .