Hi, I’m Zack.
My goal is to introduce myself to you in enough words to give you an idea about who I am, but not so many words that you get bored and stop reading. One thing I can tell you is that I don’t really like writing formal letters. Somehow, a formal letter feels so informal. That is how I feel about attempting to introduce myself in this first blog entry.
Some core things that are important to me are my wife, my faith, and my calling. My wife Alicia and I have been married for five and a half years and have been together for ten. That’s a long time! I’ve really enjoyed being married to her so far and I am excited for the years ahead.
Marriage is so important to me, and I feel like this passage of scripture reinforces how meaningful marriage is:
“Two are better than one,
because they have a good return for their labor:
If either of them falls down,
one can help the other up.
But pity anyone who falls
and has no one to help them up.
Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.
But how can one keep warm alone?
Though one may be overpowered,
two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”
Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 (NIV)
There’s a lot to unpack here. The first is apparent, which is two are better than one. Two people can help each other by picking the other up when they fall or being warm when both are cold. Guys, cuddling is literally amazing. Why do you think you like cuddling with your pet, friend, or significant other? There’s actually scientific information out there that suggests that certain endorphins are released when we snuggle. These endorphins elicit positive emotions which draws us back to cuddling!
I am a Chaplain and Bible Teacher, and I used to have my students work on an assignment for Bible class when we started talking about dating and marriage. Go back into scripture and count every time God says something is ‘good’. You’ll find He uses it a lot to describe His creation. However, the only time He says it is ‘not good’ is when describing the state of His creation when alone. I don’t think this means singleness is a bad thing. I know that’s easy for me to say and Jesus was single. I just think it means that we were wired for community and to belong and contribute to someone or something that extends beyond us physically. Literally, guys, Eve was made from the side of Adam. She extended from Him physically.
By now it is likely obvious that marriage is a huge part of my identity. Another thing that is so important to me is my faith. There are so many ways that Jesus has changed my life. He’s rocked my world. If it wasn’t for Him, I definitely wouldn’t be where I am. I was a doped up middle schooler some time ago. I was getting arrested, I was a wanna-be gangster, and just very desperate for some form of validation and acceptance. I desperately wanted to know who I was. More than that, I wanted to know that no matter what, I was enough. I was very insecure about my identity.
It wasn’t like I became a Christian overnight. It did take some time. All good things take time. You can’t rush the process of transformation with Jesus, you just have to start a relationship with Him. The Apostle Paul said, “… I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.” (2 Corinthians 6:2). Paul, formerly known as Saul, was a murderer. His encounter with God left him blind and yet even in his blindness, it enabled him to see spiritually. His emphasis was to find favor with God… now. Today. This very moment, choose it.
In Brad Lomenick’s book, H3 Leadership, he says “Calling is your purpose. It is your guiding light. It is the string that connects our dots and allows us to feel fulfilled. It is, according to one of the most widely accepted definitions, where your deepest passions and your greatest strengths intersect.” (52-53). That’s a lot. I know.
Discovering Jesus has allowed me to start to discover my calling. To be completely honest with you, I’m still not sure what that is. If I were to try to describe it, I would probably say my calling is to motivate and inspire others to become the best versions of themselves that they could possibly be. When I try to understand, I can look back on my life and identify a specific pattern with my mother that at times bothered me, but also gifted me to be who I am today. Every report card that I would bring home, my mom would study my grades better than I ever studied to get those grades. There was this one time in my freshman year after I quit drugs and started getting everything on track that I got a 4.0. I had all A’s!! I was so proud of myself and I thought she would be thrilled.
Without batting an eye, or even smiling from what I recall, she said “what can you do to make these all A+’s”. The world stood still. My mom’s appetite for success is insatiable. I stood there and was like, mom, these are solid 100% they can’t possibly get any higher. I kid you not, she said, “well, figure out a way to make them higher”. My chin dropped to the floor right along with my confidence and ego.
This story still defines me today. My thoughts constantly drift to, “how can we make things better? How can we turn tasks into goals and goals into aspirations?”. I believe a lot of us, including myself, settle for what’s good when we can have God’s best. How does it go? Good, better, best. Never let them rest. Until your good, becomes better, and your better becomes your best. Or if you’re my mom, until your best becomes better.
I have a lot of love for my mom. I really do. I have her to thank for my perfectionistic streak. Growing up, we would wake up at 5AM and I would help my siblings get ready. After she dropped us off at the babysitter’s in the morning, I would stay awake and work on my homework until school started.
There was even a time when I was struggling with math and my mom, sister, brother, and I all shared one room and two beds. She would help wake me up at 5 AM with a warm cup of hot chocolate to work on my math homework. Even as I write this I both tear up and laugh because she would lovingly wake me up for one of the most unlovable subjects I had to take, but this is what made me who I am today.
This is one of the reasons why I have an insatiable drive to push myself to be better every day. I hunger for something I can’t see, but I feel it in the depths of my soul. I am introducing who I am, but is there ever a point where you find out who you are, what you are meant to be doing, and feel fully satisfied that you are living out your life’s purpose? So far, I am convinced that life really is like a series of events, one folding after the next, “from glory to glory” (2 Corinthians 3:18), from “strength to strength” (Psalm 84:7). There is always the next chapter building up the story and I have been able to find meaning in each one.
God is constantly growing me and taking me on a journey. And for someone who loves learning, this is an exciting place to be.
And so now, for that formal letter:
To Whom It May Concern,
I write this to let you know that your calling is impeccable. You are unrivaled. There is no one else out there like you. You were created to “hunger and thirst” after more than what you are currently experiencing (Matthew 5:6). As the Scriptures say, “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” (1 Corinthians 2:9).
This is me. This is you. You were created for the “much more” that God has in store for you so please don’t sell yourself short of anything else. I hope that you will accept this promise that God has given you to, “… taste and see that the LORD is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!” (Psalm 34:8).
Blessings,
Zack Surovec
Zachary Surovec 