What You May Not Know About One of the State’s Most Recognizable Faces
Many
Arkansans would be quick to recognize the three names and faces of the premiere
injury lawyers who serve “the Razorback Nation.” You see them on
television and billboards and hear them on the radio. Men who battle for
the underdog and take pride in protecting those who are victims of unforeseen
circumstances. One of the men, however, has a unique story that is much
less well-known than his name. It is a story of humble beginnings, life
struggles, hard work, family devotion, and ultimate triumph. It is the
story of the man in the middle.
Those
that really knew Stephen Holt are quick to agree that he possessed an eclectic
(if not contradictory) skill set. One that may best be described as a mix
of compassion, determination, stubbornness, and humility. Behind his disarming
smile lived an unusual depth of character. His was a quiet strength built
in the refiner’s fire over the course of man years, resulting in an uncanny
focus and resolve. Many years ago, Stephen was given a rare gift by His
Creator: the gift of clarity. Stephen had the blessing of knowing what
was truly important in life. Once he received this clarity, he wrapped
his time, gifts, energies, and talents around it, somehow knowing that his life
served a greater purpose. And in the long run this clarity indeed served
a greater purpose, for it was this very clarity that ended up having an eternal
impact far beyond even the Razorback Nation.
Last
Spring, Stephen’s foot began giving him trouble after a ski trip with his
family. He put a flexible boot on it and barely altered his
schedule. Stephen was forever private, and simply explained it as a
temporary inconvenience. This inconvenience, however, marked the
beginning of a struggle that would end up serving as his final earthly
chapter. For a man who loved control, the ultimate test of spirit came
when he lost the ability to control even his own muscles. In the course
of a few short months, he went from running, skiing, and playing golf to laying
in a bed with an ability only to move his eyes and mouth. He never lost
control, however, of his mind and heart. His wit remained strong to the
final breath. Ironically, It is was in these final days that his gift of
clarity – clarity of meaning and purpose – shined the brightest. It manifested
itself in three countercultural ways:
His
humility of character. When people fall victim to sudden tragedy, we tend to
deify them. We speak of them as if they never erred. We look for even the
most subtle of hints of their influence on others and then magnify it to epic
proportions. Stephen did not like that. His humility demanded much
more of him than a mere acquiescence to shallow (though often well-meaning)
flattery. He was even uncomfortable with others offering well-earned
words of respect, seeking to immediately change the subject or steer the
conversation in a different direction. His lowliness of mind and meekness
of personality was not an act of false humility nor an area of vulnerability on
his part. Only a fool confuses meekness with weakness. He did not
want the focus on him because he truly held others in higher regard.
His
focus on others.
By nature, Stephen was a task-oriented man, but what really mattered to Stephen
was people. He remained tenaciously focused on others. As
one of his closest friends reminded us recently, “Stephen is always genuinely
interested to see how ‘you’ are doing and what is going on in ‘your’
life.” It was this focus on people and their needs that dictated how he
spent much of his time. He was always the one looking around for a chance
to visit with and befriend other people in the room when his friends circled up
and talked among themselves.
It
is here, in this realm of outward focus, that his discipline and sense of order
particularly served him well. His friend and law partner stated it this
way, “He succeeds because he is simply willing to outwork the
competition.” Somewhere along the way Stephen made a decision to harness
his tenacity, ingenuity, and downright “hard headedness” into a concerted and
deliberate effort to benefit others. Ironically, it was in the midst of
this conscious quest to give his life away when he ended up discovering where
true life actually exists.
A
wise man once said, “Small minds talk about people, medium minds talk about
events, but great minds talk about ideas.” Stephen was a man of ideas,
who could not help but consistently generate innovative ways to accomplish the
vision. He wasn’t dazzled by slick presentations, nor was he necessarily
moved by emotional appeals. He was the king of questions. In fact, he had
an amazing ability to hijack an entire meeting agenda with one well-placed,
thought-provoking question. The thoughts generated to answer the
question, many times, would end up serving as the basis for an entirely
different (and many times more successful) approach.
He
refused to compartmentalize his outward focus only to areas of personal
interest. It spilled over into his professional life as well.
Referred to by his colleagues as the firm’s “missionary,” Stephen played a key
role in determining their little-known, holistic approach to helping
others. Unbeknownst to many, his law firm spends tens of thousands of
dollars each year investing into the personal well-being of their clients;
almost all taking place after the case has long been closed to avoid any
conflict of interests.
His
impact on thousands.
In a broad sense, his impact did not begin across the world, but rather across
the house. The spiritual vitality of his wife and children were among his
highest of priorities. Again, his gift of clarity carried with it a price
tag in that it immediately distinguished between the temporal and eternal,
radically affecting his spiritual leadership among those he loved most.
It was this clarity and single-mindedness of purpose that awed his closest
friends. “I watch how Stephen manages and balances his career, his family, and
his walk with God,” commented one member of his inner circle. “I am
overwhelmed with how he does this. Over the past five years in
particular, Stephen has made the conscious decision to pour himself into the
lives of his children. Part of this was exposing his children to the
mission field by taking them on trips both locally and abroad. While I am
sure that this influenced his children in a positive way, it also had the
unintended result of giving Stephen a passion for missions.”
In
addition to his family, his primary passion for mission was displayed through
his commitment to the people of Paraguay. Serving as the primary leader
for his church’s partnership in Paraguay, he led multiple journeys (dating back
to 2009) involving hundreds of volunteers meeting thousands of physical needs
in and around the capital city of Asuncion. His investment into these
areas resulted in the spiritual transformation of hundreds of families and the
planting and growth of several new churches. Oddly, it stands to reason
that this particular man in the middle would ultimately serve as the middle man
in fostering an eternal relationship between thousands of South Americans and
their Creator. Like Stephen, they, too, now possess this same clarity of
purpose through a living Hope that can only be found in a relationship with
Jesus Christ.
In
the end, this gift of clarity in his life set off an uncontrollable, yet oddly
predictable, domino effect. His clarity of purpose resulted in humility
of character. His humility of character resulted in a focus on
others. His focus on others resulted in an impact on thousands. ”Of
the guys I know that really know Stephen, any of us would trade places with him
in a heartbeat," remarked a dear friend. "Mostly, this is
because we see what he has done with his God-given talents and his work for the
Lord and hate to see this come to a screeching halt. I don't think many of us
could fill the shoes he leaves behind.” On the surface, that comment
appears to be about his work ethic and friendship, but it isn't. It is a
statement about his legacy.
Winston
Churchill once said, “We make a living by what we get; but we make a life by
what we give.” What many may not know about one of the state’s most
recognizable faces – my friend Stephen – is that he truly personified this
concept. Fitting in so many ways that he would gravitate to the humble
background of the middle.
With
Much Love and Respect,
Mark A
