The following was written by Steven McEwen, Legislative Liaison for Convention of States Arizona.
I have seen and experienced many wondrous things in my life, and as a result, I have lived in peace knowing that if I were taken from this adventure today, I would have no regrets.
That was until I became involved with the Convention of States Project and attended the Leadership Summit.
Over the years, I’ve learned that life is filled with many challenges and even more opportunities. My first marriage was blessed with two boys, then it was struck down by betrayal.
Later, though still very early in my working career, I had to face the tyranny of an oppressive employer.
When I finally stood with courage at the age of 28 and said, “No more,” my life truly began. I was reborn.
FAILURE BREEDS SUCCESS
Everything that I have pursued since that time has been a success, and they all stem from those early failures. I discovered that there was nothing I could not learn or accomplish. It became clear to me that the good and the bad in life is all part of God’s plan to help us strive for excellence.
During my subsequent tenure as one of God’s servants, some very influential people were brought into my life to help shape me into who I am today.
One was a mentor in college who taught me what is was to serve the public good. The second was a very close friend who taught me the importance of being kind to all people from all walks of life. Lastly, my second wife taught me compassion and tolerance.
In a terrible series of events, all three of these people, each incredibly important in my life, died within one year of each other. My mentor died after a long and blessed life. My good friend died of an early heart attack at 55.
My wife of 25 years finally succumbed to a 10-year struggle with kidney disease and ultimately cancer. She died in my arms at home, as I had promised.
ANOTHER LIFE ADVENTURE
I was blessed again later in life with another partner who compelled, if not forced, me to excel in life and to do so with humility.
In 2017 she became aware of the Convention of States Project. After fix months of research, she decided to join the movement and become a leader, which led me to do the same. Many of you know her as Convention of States Arizona’s Grassroots Coordinator, my wife Deborah H. McEwen.
Now, another great life adventure has begun.
Attending the historic Convention of States Leadership Summit has given me renewed purpose and fanned the flames of my patriotic soul.
I was first introduced to the servant leadership management concept back during my professional working career. While the approach seemed to be solid in its rationale, at the time I felt that it was rather utopian and not really practical for my particular line of work.
However, after meeting Mark Meckler and experiencing servant leadership first-hand within the Convention of States framework, I decided that I had to share how truly wonderful I now find this concept.
As implemented by COS, it’s much like working with a loving family. We are each free to express our ideas, to work in our own individual areas of comfort, and ultimately to take as much or as little responsibility as our experience, training, and responsibilities allow.
THE FOUNDERS SPEAK
There were many other things, too, that inspired me at the Summit, not the least of which were the re-enactment presentations by our Forefathers!
James Madison traveled from centuries past to tell us what patriotism means and to remind us of the great experiment in self-governance that is our Constitution, all of which I see as a parallel with God’s great experiment of life.
Thomas Jefferson instructed us to look in the mirror and see the crown on our heads, signifying that this is our republic to mold and keep accountable.
Then there were our contemporaries. Eric O’Keefe shared his story about the John Doe case and how he stood against the tyranny of government and prevailed.
I was thrilled at the opportunity to congratulate him personally and to tell him how I believed that he was one of the great patriots of our nation.
When asked why he left government service, Senator Tom Coburn was there to explain to us that he decided that God had shown him what he was to do with his life, and he asked us to do the same, to “be obedient to what we are called for.”
That statement alone caused me to realize that I had received everything I needed right there to accomplish the mission at hand with the Convention of States.
A TIME AND PLACE FOR SHARING
The camaraderie, the positivity, and the encouragement were all so inspiring. I met with many people from all over the country, but two stand out the most in my memory.
One morning, I just happened to meet a State Director who was new to her position and its responsibilities. In a quiet moment of candor, she told me of her fear that her task was insurmountable.
It seemed appropriate to then share with her my story and how I had nearly quit many times. With God’s guidance and my own perseverance, I was always shown the way.
I told her that I now firmly believed that the practice of servant leadership would provide her with all the help and direction that she needed to prevail. In the end, she left uplifted, expressing gratitude for my having shared with her my story.
Another patriot was a Regional Captain who told me that she did not feel that she was doing enough. She said that she wanted to do more but had family responsibilities and simply could not find enough time.
I told her that I completely understood, agreeing with her that her role was one of the most important and demanding of them all, but that the most fundamental value shared by everyone whom I had met in the organization was that family comes first.
If we do the best we can whenever we can, no one could or would ever ask for more. Ultimately, she committed to persevere in her efforts. While it was no surprise to the rest of us, she was humbled and overcome when she was recognized and awarded for her efforts that very night!
THE GRAND FINALE
One might think that all of this was already an experience to last a lifetime, but there was yet a grand finale in store for me. After socializing with the great patriots of New York, I went in to retire and found Mark Meckler sitting at a table, accompanied by his wife Patty, another young lady, Eric O’Keefe, and Eric’s brother.
I stood a short distance away, waiting for an opportunity to approach and thank Mark for such a wonderful experience. He noticed me standing there and waved me over, insisting that I pull up a chair and join them--me, a very tiny cog in this great movement, sitting with this great man.
In the conversation that ensued, not only did I share with him and the others at the table my impressions of the Summit experience and thank him graciously, I mentioned that Arizona was under threat from those who would rescind our application.
He told me that he hoped he could count on me to see this challenge through, and I assured him that our state leadership team was actively working on a solution. I stood to leave, promising that I would be there for the Convention of States as long as I drew a breath.
Mark Meckler then displayed a genuine example of what Servant Leadership means: He made me promise to tell this story. Promise made, promise kept.
