I have seen very few people in my life who loved what they did more than Steve Irwin. I have witnessed even fewer who were so completely sold out to a vision and life passion like he was. I already miss him!
I have marveled for years at the man's incredible abandonment to the cause of animal conservation and making the most fearful creatures in the world lovable in an awe-inspiring kind of way. Steve himself said on many occasions that one of his main goals was to expose people to the beauty and wonder of animals most of us have nightmares about. He knew that if people saw and experienced the animals as he did, they would do more to protect them.
I don't know if Steve Irwin knew Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior, but based upon things he said on his program, I doubt it. I do know that God is the great Designer and Creator, and that it was He who put this passion in Steve Irwin so that all of us could experience the glory of the creation. I only hope that Steve's wife and two children will follow the link that exists between Creator and creature and find comfort and refuge in the one who made this man who pursued His life call with such wide-eyed wonder.
Men like Steve Irwin are a great example to us of the kind of single-focused vision that is lacking in so much of the church world today. He knew what he was made to do and did it with a zeal and love that puts many of us to shame. It is not my goal to condemn or judge, but to merely point out the great need we have in our time to be completely captivated by a vision of Jesus Christ and His kingdom.
After all, we know the One who made "the beauties" that Steve Irwin always excitedly exclaimed praise for. We know the One who made Steve Irwin such a pleasure and joy to watch. It is His image in Steve that left all of us continually saying, "WOW, did you see that?"
HERE IS A NICE TRIBUTE VIDEO
That is one of the things I admire about you Doug, is that you take stories like these and always turn them into a lesson for believers. You alway seem to see it though the eyes of our creator.
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I had no idea. I'll tell you what impressed me about Steve. His wife. To be able to allow someone you love to continually go out into dangerous situations and know each time that he may not be coming back is an ongoing sacrifice. To die daily to your comfort and security; to give up what is most important to you because you want their passion/dream fulfilled ~ Amazing.
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