Gutsy is defined by Websterâs Dictionary as âshowing courage, determination, and spirit.â Related words are brave, courageous, bold, daring, fearless, heroic, lionhearted, undaunted, unflinching, unshrinking, and unafraid. Those describe Chris Stull!
On this Valentineâs Day I want to do a quick shared reflection on the gutsy ways of this guy of mine…
⢠He got up at 1:00 a.m. to start a 5,000+â grueling hike to the top of 14,259â Longs Peak…13 hours…just because his sons wanted to do it. Gutsy.
⢠He took on a âleftover playersâ little league baseball team in which most of the boys were afraid of the ball. By the end of the season they were champions. Gutsy.
⢠He stepped in to lead a church with amazing wisdom, peace, purpose and clarity when the senior pastor felt called to another place. Gutsy.
⢠He walked away from a great job with a large staff at a big church in a wonderful city near extended family to move and plant a church in Phoenix, not knowing where that church would meet or what that church would be called. Gutsy.
⢠He chose to go from a place of full resource closets, pews and paid staff to âI guess we should order some chairs so people can sit,â and âWould anyone like to volunteer to help?â Gutsy.
⢠He has handled hundreds of difficult human resource incidents with truth and care. Gutsy.
⢠He has shared truth patiently, honestly and lovingly with irate people who were pouring their anger out on him because they were mad at God. Gutsy.
⢠He has preached Godâs Word truthfully when he knew he would not win any popularity contest. Gutsy.
⢠In the midst of taking almost a half cut pay in salary to plant a church, he adopted two children internationally from a country that was rampant with Ebola at the time of travel. Gutsy.
⢠He bravely navigates and provides for the needs of 7 children â car insurance, car payments, cell phone payments, FAFSA apps, etc. Gutsy.
⢠While suffering with malaria when on a Zambian mission, he preached a full sermon at a church that was a mile away from running water or any bathrooms. Gutsy.
⢠In South Africa, though no one would go near the village witch doctorâs home, he entered, laid hands on the womanâs sick son, and he was healed. (And the witch doctor surrendered her life to Christ!) Gutsy.
⢠He has given probably 100 off-the-cuff messages or impromptu prayers at unexpected times. Gutsy.
⢠He helped lead and guide people with wisdom in the horror of a Rockies mudslide. Gutsy.
⢠Although a âdetail guyâ with an MBA in finance, he bravely has led his family to follow the Lord when feeling the call to give to the Lord well above and beyond anything that worked on paper. Gutsy.
⢠His encounters with wildlife deserve a section all their own…
â He was once walking over a log and encountered a rattle snake zinging with feet on both sides of the log and snake in between.
â He sat down in a boat next to a rattlesnake – not a good fishing partner.
â He was walking through a creek and encountered a moose – both ran the fastest 40 yards that day.
â He was fishing and ended up in the stream with a mama bear and two cubs walking the bank.
â He was sitting on the ground with his back against a log when an elk climbed over the log.
â He was walking in the middle of an open meadow in the pitch black when he heard breathing and snorting all around him. The elk herd started running in that field as he stood in the middle of shaking ground, thinking he would surely be trampled.
⢠He has completed over a dozen triathlons â swimming, biking, and running â some in the heat and humidity, or close to freezing conditions. Gutsy.
⢠He sat with white knuckles in the passenger seat of a van on the Road to Hana with his nervous wife at the wheel maneuvering 500+ hairpin turns and 500+ one-lane bridges on the sides of cliffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Gutsy.
(He wonât forget his driverâs license next time we go to Maui.)
⢠He has often folded laundry for this family of 7+ (depending on who is home at the time), having done as much as 6-7 loads in the time of one ballgame or movie. Gutsy.
⢠He has done middle-of-the-night clean up on carpets and beds when little children got sick. Gutsy!
⢠He has gotten up almost every morning without fail to read the Bible and seek the Lord in prayer, even when he didnât feel like it. Gutsy.
If you are wondering how my guy got so gutsy, the answer lies in that last reflection. He surrendered his life to Christ and is filled with the Spirit of the living God. Every day for decades now he has been seeking the Lord as his source of strength and direction. Itâs not that he never feels fear. He just doesnât let fear stop him. His boldness comes from a deep confidence in God. I have often heard friends talk about Chrisâs âJoshuaâ spirit, and thatâs what Iâm writing about. Joshua 1:9 says, âBe strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.â Living with him is an adventure, and Iâm thankful to be by his side every step along the way. Happy Valentineâs Day, my love. You will always be my hero.
- Pastor for the week at Wind River Ranch in Estes Park, CO