Happy 10th Anniversary, Jon Acuff
2013 - 2023
Dedicated to my friend, Jon Acuff.
In light of the recent furor over the failed OceanGate expedition of the Titan submersible, I’ve had time to reflect on the last ten years of my life and how an invitation to adventure changed my life.
Ten years ago, I received news that my husband was diagnosed with terminal cancer. From March to May of 2013, we were going through the motions while preparing for an inevitable blow to our family. My mind was paralyzed as my life began crumbling around me.
And then I received a call.
An invitation to adventure.
Heck, ANY adventure sounded better than the one I was currently living.
Sounded good to me. Anything sounded better than walking the endless halls of Vanderbilt University Medical Center (in Nashville).
Risk guaranteed. Success difficult.
And what have I got to lose at this point?
Jon’s post amassed close to 100 comments within the first 12 hours. When the post closed, Jon had almost 3,000 responses, and the Twittersphere lit up with excitement despite Jon not announcing exactly what this adventured entailed.
This was the Start Experiment.
If you don’t know Jon Acuff by now, where have you been?
Let me introduce you to my basketball-player-sized friend.
Jon Acuff
When I met Jon, he had a successful blog I’d been following since 2008 called Stuff Christians Like and wrote a book called Quitter in 2011. He had a funny approach to life and his writing not only made me laugh, it made me think. When I attended the Quitter conference in 2012, I knew that this young man was going somewhere. I also knew I could trust him and his words. He wrote about his daily thoughts and taught us how to laugh at ourselves while facing our greatest fears. He taught us how to punch fear in the face.
In the summer of 2013, I needed someone to punch fear in the face.
I stared fear in the face every day watching cancer consume my husband.
I needed to know that there was hope and a chance to have a life again after devastation.
Jon was busy traveling and enjoying his ascent into the world of social media. His blog was extremely popular, he was the featured speaker at a conference, and he amassed a group of people ready to go where no man/woman had gone before.
The adventure was simple—pick one thing, one risk you could take, and focus on that for 24 days. Some people wanted to write their first books, some wanted to get their finances in order, some wanted to start businesses, some wanted to buy their first house, some were singles who wanted to meet other singles, etc. Jon provided the space and allowed us the protection of his private Facebook to collaborate. We were assigned to groups and got started. It was a place of genuine community, where folks felt safe and comfortable to share their struggles, their dreams, and receive genuine support along the way. We looked forward to participating in the Start conference scheduled later that summer to share what we accomplished.
In the midst of my journey, we hit a major wall.
My husband ended up in the ER at Vanderbilt, and subsequently moved to Intensive Care.
What seemed to be a lifeline was snapped in two.
There would be no way I could go to the conference with a sick husband.
I remember the exact spot where I sat in the Vanderbilt Hospital cafeteria, trying to eat while waiting for my husband to be released from surgery. I was frozen in fear. What was happening to us?
And God, where the hell are you?
I had my Macbook with me and opened it to my Wordpress blog. I hadn’t written anything in a while, but writing is where I feel the safest. My words flow freely and I don’t worry so much about what people think. It is how I best share my heart.
So, I decided to write An Open Letter to Jon Acuff.
It was meant to be tongue-in-cheek.
I didn’t think he’d really ever see it.
But oh boy, can the internet be sneaky.
Not only did he read it, SIX OTHER PEOPLE contacted him about it.
Jon Acuff speaks to the Start Experiment Group at the Start Conference in Brentwood, TN. He references my story beginning at the 6:13 mark.
This amazing group of people not only surrounded me while my husband battled cancer, they were there to support me through his death, funeral, and the rebuilding of my life. Some friends have stood the test of time. Others fulfilled their purpose and I’m happy to catch up with them occasionally via social media.
And here we are . . . ten years later.
Jon, if you’re reading this, I’m doing great. God has been faithful and I have found love again. I now make my home in Dallas, Texas while still commuting to Tennessee to see my kids (and now, a grandson!) I’ve watched as your beautiful and talented daughters have grown into lovely young women. And of course, Jenny is still the one behind the scenes making sure it all runs smoothly. Thank you for always taking a moment to talk to me whenever you’re in town for appearances.
I started a freelance business helping new authors write and publish their books. My daughter, Savannah, went back to school after touring on the road for five years and is majoring in graphic design and marketing. My son works as a claims adjustor and has a son who turns three in July. All in all, not too bad for the last ten years.
Thank you, Jon. You changed my life.
And happy anniversary.
Your friend,
Ronei
(Learn more about Jon Acuff at www.acuff.me or on social media @jonacuff)