Likewise, there are times when we may lose our edge, get cloudy in our vision or find our passion waning, and we need to reflect on where we may have lost it. Oftentimes, when leaders come to me for counsel or guidance, I ask a similar question. "Where do you sense you lost your edge, your passion, your vision?".

In my youth, although I was full of vision and passion for the purposes of God, I quickly realized the need for the wisdom and favor of those who have gone before me. There have been foundations laid, sacrifices made and a price paid for us to build upon. We cannot build on faulty foundations. Our future is connected to how we honor or dishonor those who've gone before us. It's also connected to how the former generation blesses and releases the emerging generation.

People will serve and make sacrifices for what they are passionate about. We can be hired to do work and receive a paycheck, but we will only leave a lasting legacy to the glory of God when our vision is greater than ourselves. Hirelings can live for a paycheck, but God's visionaries and dreamers live to make a difference and leave a legacy to future generations.

I was privileged to have known Rick Husband. He was an astronaut and the commander of the Space Shuttle Columbia for its 28th mission. I was invited by him and his wife Evelyn to speak at a pre-launch reception in Florida in January of 2003. At the reception, Christian singer Steve Green sang one of Rick's favorite songs, "God of Wonders," which he also took a CD copy with him on the shuttle. Can you imagine waking up and looking out of the window of the space shuttle to the music and lyrics of that song?

Rick had wanted to be an astronaut his entire life. He loved his work, but also realized there is life beyond the space program of great importance. The measure of his success was not only measured in being an astronaut, but in his love and devotion as a husband, father and ambassador for Christ, which has left a lasting legacy. One of my spiritual fathers was Dr. Edwin Louis Cole, founder of the Christian Men's Network. He used to say, "Christlikeness and Manhood are Synonymous." Rick Husband lived this principle in his life.

One of the things I found out about Rick Husband from Evelyn was that each day he would have a devotion time with his daughter and son. Since he was going to be on the shuttle mission for 16 days, and didn't want to miss the daily devotions with his children, he decided to make 16 video messages for them to watch—one for each day he would be in space. Each day they still had devotion with dad. Tragically, we know what happened on that fateful sixteenth day, as the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated during re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere. Rick and the rest of the seven-member crew did not make it home that day, but the lives they lived before entering the portals of eternity will influence the generation to come.

Rick Husband was a man whose life foundation was solid, built on the principles of God's Word. His commitment to the Lord and his family were steadfast. The legacy of his life example continues on through his family and all those who were impacted by his life.

When I was a young Christian, I discovered my need for wisdom and guidance from those who had gone before me. I'm grateful to the Lord for bringing men and women in the faith that have made a mark on my life. People like Edwin Louis Cole and Leonard Ravenhill who embraced me, challenged and provoked me to grow deeper in the Lord. There are so many champions of the faith who have paid a price, made sacrifices, and laid foundations for us to build upon. They have left a lasting legacy for us and for the new generation of leaders.

Dr. Mark Rutland's

National Institute of Christian Leadership (NICL)

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