What Aspired Rob To Climb Upward Towards Nate?

Mr. Nate Larkin, the founder of Samson Society, paid a visit to the Jackson, Mississippi Samson groups back in August of 2017.  I don't believe that was his first visit here relative to regional-specific Samson "marketing", but I do believe it does represent his most recent.  He'd been in Alabama a few days prior, speaking at a men's conference (sponsored by a church).  From there, he and Dr. Tom Mouka drove west to the illustrious Magnolia State.  They'd arrived later than had been planned, but nonetheless, in plenty of time for the local Samson guys who'd come to share a meal (BBQ pork + homemade dessert, if I remember correctly) and meet THE MAN face-to-face.  

I'm pretty certain this was the same year I began attending National Samson Society retreats in middle, TN (November of that same year).  Leading up to this dinnertime meet & greet, I vaguely remember becoming frustrated with one of our local Samson group facilitators who refused to make this event a priority.  His excuse for not attending was so impetuous, I felt certain he was hiding his true loner motive.

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Samson Society wouldn't exist were it not for Nate Larkin.  Taking all the good that's come from this ministry into consideration, why wouldn't you make meeting THE MAN a priority?

My theory relative to answering this question is as follows:  Nate is nondescript, he leads with weakness & he becomes visibly uncomfortable at even the slightest identifier (adulation) of fame.

Take a hard look at the photograph above, taken towards the end of the evening during that '17 event.  If you didn't know who Mr. Nate Larkin was, would you be able to confidently pick out the founder of the Samson Society within that photo?  

I would argue that of everyone pictured there, Dr. Tom Moucka looks the most "Samson Society leaderly", simply by taking his countenance, posture, dress and build into consideration.  But that's not Nate.  That's Tom.  Tom and Nate are great friends, but Nate is what I described above (which isn't Tom).

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Archie Manning has always been my father's primary role model.  A close, close second to Mr. Manning is Dr. James Dobson.  As a sidenote, I've always believed that my father's dream job would be serving as the Manning family butler (at their NOLA estate).  

Both of these noteworthy leaders have many, many admirable attributes / characteristics, and I would argue that first and foremost, it's their respective (spotless, squeaky clean) reputations that draw so many admirers.  Archie is Mr. Ole Miss football.  Plus, his pedigree has brought to bear strapping next (& next) generation athletes that honor his puritanical, hardworking, All-American legacy.  Dr. Dobson's audience is mainly women (housewives), but for whatever reason, my dad has always had a soft spot for Dobson's mellow, sublime yet earnest style (radio delivery).  If my dad has cut one monthly donation check to Dobson, he's cut a thousand, and will continue to do so until the day he dies (putting his money where his admiration is).

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Around twenty years ago, I began seeing a staff therapist at First Baptist Church Jackson (Summit Counseling) in response to the ramp up I was experiencing relative to my Internet porn use.  This man had watched me grow up, having come to our church when I was in either the 4th or 5th grade.  One of the questions he asked me during a session (about halfway through the +/-6 months I saw him regularly) was, "What men at our church do you admire?"

I remember his surprise when I simply couldn't tick off a list of 5-6 candidates that we both knew might qualify for excellent "masculine (Christian) admiration candidates".  I sat there in his office feeling strange, knowing I'd disappointed him by not answering.  

At that point in my life (I was around the age of 30 at this time), what I saw both within Christian and professional circles were men whose primary goal was to fixate on their reputations above all else.  Hence, when it came to dirty laundry (skeletons in their closets), these effectively remained hidden.  Regarding "company they kept", it seemed obvious that losers need not apply.  And regarding notoriety (fame), these men covertly embraced it wholeheartedly (every chance they could).

One overarching truth relative to this observation was how in contrast their modus operandi was compared to Jesus Christ (as chronicled within the four gospels).  And this is primarily what kept me from fully admiring them / holding them up as role models.

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I had lunch last week with a local Samson newbie who I met via the greater Samson universe (Slack).  He asked some great questions about my experience in Samson, one of which prompted me to write this post.

I never realized how much I admire Mr. Nate Larkin 'till I began taking a harder look at my own recovery / commitment therein to that recovery.  Recovery takes a long-term commitment, and the vessel therein by which recovery is accomplished is massively important.  I've no desire to throttle back my ongoing involvement within Samson Society.  Not because I'm "still having a grand time", but because I ultimately want to support Nate's ministry and Nate himself to the best of my ability.  As such, longevity is no doubt a big part of that.  

In closing, Mr. Nate Larkin is a textbook introvert.  It doesn't take long to pick up on this.  Whenever he's present at the National Retreats, you can tell he's being "sucked dry" of emotional / spiritual energy.  Hence, he's also unusual as a ministry leader in that regard.  And just so you know, I'm also an introvert.

There's a lot to be said for finding Christian men to look up to.  By doing so, you're positioning yourself well to learn from and in turn, support therein.  I honestly didn't believe I'd ever find my Archie Manning / Dr. James Dobson, but by God's grace, I most certainly did.