Hero Interview from Chasing Christmas by Steven Hunt

» Posted on Dec 13, 2012 in Blog | Comments Off on Hero Interview from Chasing Christmas by Steven Hunt

This week I’m hosting  Liz Johnson with A Promise to Protect, Lacy Williams with Counterfeit Cowboy, Steven Hunt with Chasing Christmas and Murray Pura with Ashton Park.  If you want to enter the drawings for the books, please leave a comment on one of the post during the week with your email address. I will not enter you without an email address (my way to contact you if you win). If you don’t want to leave an email address, another way you can enter is to email me at margaretdaley@gmail.com. The drawings end Sunday (December 16th) evening.

Interview with the hero from Chasing Christmas by Steven Hunt:

1. Teddy Whitaker, tell me the most interesting thing about you.

I suspect I’m one of the few people alive who has ever met an angel. Christy and I met when I needed help in a most desperate way after I absconded aboard a freight train. I was depressed over many things that had gone wrong with my life and as Christmas approached I felt as if there wasn’t anything I could do to shake the way I thought. I know now that it was a mistake, but I left my family and home to escape the turmoil that my life had become. Christy showed me the path to healing and the way home. I would not be with my family without her.

But, speaking as a man who has been healed, I consider the most interesting thing about me is my growing dedication to Christ, to my wife, and to my daughter. I place God, my wife, and my daughter above myself and every day is filled with trying to please them. I know others may think of this as lame, but I cherish them. I can’t imagine being anything different.

2.  What do you do for fun?

Two months ago I would have said I worked for fun. Now with my priorities straight, I enjoy being with my family—which includes my church family—and attending my daughter’s school functions. Mandy is a young teenager and she is still in her impressionable years. I was not there when she needed me most and I vow to be there for her in the future.

I also enjoy watching my wife’s career blossom. Jane took it upon herself to learn a trade when I was unable to provide for my family. Depression can be debilitating if one allows it to take over them and they don’t seek help. It nearly destroyed me. Jane is a much stronger woman than I knew and it has been fun watching her grow. 

3.  What do you put off doing because you dread it?

Nothing. I take one day at a time. There is no sense in procrastinating. If one waits today because they dislike doing something, tomorrow will be filled with two things they dislike. Eventually that will build to an insurmountable mountain of dislikes. So it’s best to just go ahead, do whatever it is that has to be done, and get it over with.

4.  What are you afraid of most in life?

Flagg. He’s the evil man I met in the Ozark Mountains. Terrifying. I was in a vulnerable state and confused. If not for Christy, Flagg would have pressed me into making a terrible decision; a decision that would have cemented my ruin into something I could not have been able to overcome. I now know that Flagg was not looking for my best interest, but seeking another trophy for his mantle. He is evil. He wanted me to fail so I would have to rely on him.

5.  What do you want out of life?

That’s an easy one. I’ve been thinking of the answer to this question for many months. What I want out of life is to honor God, to love my family, and to be able to provide for them. Through the healing, Christy and others had the opportunity to teach me that I don’t always need to be the person in front of the line. I don’t need to have my name in the newspapers or to be the talk of the party. If I trust God, He will provide everything I need. Noticed I said “need.”

6.  What is the most important thing to you?

Living a life that is pleasing to God. Everything else will fall into place. There may be times when things aren’t going my way, but I know that God is on my side. If He cares enough for the birds by feeding them when they are hungry, how much more will He care for me? We, as children of Christ, are so much more important to Him.

7.  Do you read books? If so, what is your favorite type of book?

Before my depression, I only read books and articles on engineering so I could improve the tracking software I invented. Since my journey, I read my Bible every day so I can learn how to be a better Christian. How else are we to learn how to pray, how to act, and how to live?

When I’m not spending quality time with my family, I enjoy a good fiction book. I want a story that inspires me, not one that fills my mind with senseless drabble that is laced with profanity. I won’t read a story that contains scenes that should stay between a husband and a wife. Those types of stories only lead to seeds of evil being planted in my mind. Bottom line—if the book is something I wouldn’t want my teenage daughter to read, it hasn’t a place in my personal library.

8.  If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

I’ve made lengthy strides in this area, but there is always room for improvement. I used to have problems with trusting and not listening. While these problems are a small fraction of the reason I suffered from depression, they caused unnecessary pain to my loved ones. If I had been a better listener, Mandy may not have taken the drastic measures she did just to feel as if she belonged. If I had been better at trusting, Jane might not have felt as if she had to turn to someone else for help.

9.  Do you have a pet? If so, what is it and why that pet?

We don’t have a pet, but I’ve promised Mandy that she could have a dog if she continues to progress with her drug rehabilitation. She’s doing so well I guess I should begin shopping soon. Ha!

10. If you could travel back in time, where would you go and why?

Once I thought if I could go back to the time before depression hung its fangs in me, I could eliminate the pain I caused. However, it was pointed out to me by a very special friend that if I was able to go back to a time before the depression, I would miss the lessons of life Christy took upon herself to organize. I wouldn’t be in a position to help others because I would not have been helped. I may carry many emotional scars, but I’m satisfied where I am.

The only other time I wish I could visit was when Jesus walked on earth. How wonderful it would have been to be in His presence during that time! To listen to Him speak and teach, to watch Him heal the sick and lame, to see the miracles first hand. Praise the Lord! What a time! I would not want to be there when Jesus was crucified, though. That would have been too heart-breaking to see. When I think of Jesus Christ, I get so excited and eager for eternity to be here! I guess I’ll just have to wait, love my family, and help others while I can.

But if heaven has lines, don’t expect me to be in the back! Ha!