Messages for Jacob

August 15, 2016

I met Jacob on a recent trip to Texas to run a skate camp. I needed help instructing the campers, so I begged Jacob to show up the next morning and help me teach. I didn’t know anything about him, wasn’t aware of the hardships he was dealing with; I just saw a young gifted skateboarder that loved Jesus and worked well with the kids.

I was watching him skate the mini ramp outside of the park, and the combination of his style and the surrounding just looked so photogenic, so I grabbed my camera and tried my best to capture that moment; no finished product in mind, and really no intention behind any of the clips. Later that day his Grandmother came to pick him up, and never meeting me before she walks up to me weeping and hugs me, thanking me for what I did for Jacob. I was confused thinking “I should be thanking Jacob for coming to the camp and helping me”, until she explained that Jacob’s mom passed away three days ago.

How can someone suffering a massive loss give so much of themselves for others, and how can someone in the midst of their mourning bring joy to the people around them? I was inspired by Jacob’s strength, and knew that I wanted to do something for him. When I got home I contacted a bunch of Jacobs friends and people that love him, and asked them to leave encouraging messages for Jacob on my voicemail so I could give them to him. I wanted to make a video that would encourage him half as much as he encouraged me, and I want him to know that we love him and are praying for him.

“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” Galatians 6:2