Two nights ago, CCSC held its annual Azalea Dinner to celebrate our mission and raise funds.  In the midst of the evening, we received news that our founder, Dean Robinson, had passed away after a long illness. Because of the timing of the news, we were able to take a moment to lift him and his family up in prayer, and celebrate all that he was to our organization and the wider faith community.

Dean was an ordinary person who used his unique skills, talents and personality to live his faith.  By this I mean that he was not superhuman: he had talents and flaws, good traits and bad traits, ways of doing things that were good and habits that weren't so good.  He was human, just like each of us.

What makes him great (to me) is that he harnessed all that was within him, the good and the bad, and picked up his cross to follow Jesus.  He didn't wait until he was perfect to begin to live a Christ-centered life; he just lived it as best he could.

And along the way, he founded CCSC, Amazing Place Houston, and a variety of programs at St. Luke's Methodist Church.  Every great thing that he did just happened to help other people. 

Not many of us will found and create organizations.  But each of us has the ability to use all that we are - the superb as well as the imperfect sides of ourselves - to live our faith daily.  So make peace with your flaws and talents, gather them up, and use them as Dean did: to help others and make a difference in your world. 

Below is a picture of Dean and his wife Beverly at a prior Azalea Dinner.