It was late 2004. I was 26 years old and about six months into my new job as a staff writer for the former AFA Journal, now The Stand magazine. And there I was, busy at my desk when the phone rang. I thought nothing of it. I simply picked up the receiver like I would for any call and answered it: “AFA Journal, this is Rebecca,” I said, still perfecting my professional voice.
To which the person on the other end responded: “Hi, Rebecca! This is Kirk Cameron.”
Yep! That’s right. The Kirk Cameron. You know, Mike Seaver from Growing Pains. One of the biggest teen heartthrobs of the 80s. The one whose face was on the cover of every teen magazine in print at the time and whose poster was pinned to the bedroom walls of countless teenage girls.
And he was calling me?
I have to admit; I was skeptical at first. I really thought it was a co-worker playing a joke on me. So, not wanting to embarrass myself, I entered the conversation with caution. But I quickly realized that it really was Kirk Cameron who was calling…and inviting me to have dinner with him and his wife Chelsea near their home on the outskirts of Los Angeles.
What? Seems unreal, I know. But I promise I’m telling the truth.
You see, a few days earlier, I had reached out to Kirk’s publicist to request an interview about adoption. My boss had met Kirk on a recent set visit during the filming of one of the Left Behind movies. My boss knew that Kirk and his wife had six children, four of whom they had adopted, so their story was the perfect fit for our magazine. He gave me the go-ahead to pursue an interview, and I did. I think I sent an email or two, and I left a message on an answering machine saying that I was willing to do the interview in person or over the phone. Whatever worked best for them.
It never crossed my mind that Kirk, himself, would return my phone call, much less agree to an in-person interview and extend an invite to L.A. But that’s exactly who he is. A person who is down to earth and sees himself as no better than anyone else. He’s not showy. He’s real. In fact, his wife drove a big white 15-passenger van to dinner that night. When she couldn’t find her keys, she began digging through her purse and out fell a diaper, maybe some wipes, and a tube of lipstick, among other things. I just remember it being full of the stuff a typical mom would have in her purse.
I’ve come to realize more and more who the Camerons really are as Kirk and I have stayed in touch over the past 17 years through interviews, set visits, and various ministry-related projects. As a faithful friend of American Family Association, he’s even made a few visits to our headquarters in North Mississippi. He and his wife went so far as to kindly consider a book proposal I sent their way.
So why am I telling you all this? It’s not to say, “Look at me! I know Kirk Cameron.” It’s not even to heap praises on him or garner him more accolades. I’m telling you all this because I want you to know who he is, Who he serves, and why he does what he does. In short, it’s all because of Christ and for the cause of Christ.
I was reminded of this last week when Kirk made another visit to AFA. He brought one of his sons with him and spent over an hour sharing about his family, his ministry, his heart, and his desire to see revival sweep our nation. Later that night, he humbly spoke at an annual fundraiser for a local crisis pregnancy center where he shared his testimony of salvation and boldly championed the rights of the unborn. He also clearly explained and defended the Christian founding of America and spurred us to action in an effort to return our country to its roots.
Kirk’s stardom as a teen celebrity has given him a platform. He has a calling, a following, and a captive audience. Most importantly, he has a message to share, and that message is the gospel.
On the way to the fundraising banquet, my husband and I were talking about how the Lord has raised up Kirk, much like He did Esther, “for such a time as this” (Esther 4:14). Different place, different position, different people, different purpose, but the same passion – to glorify God and make Him known.
But here’s the deal. We don’t have to be a queen or a celebrity to be effective for the kingdom. And we don’t have to be of royal lineage or among the rich and famous to be used by God. We see over and over in Scripture where God used those who were the least likely to be used by Him to do great things for Him – a shepherd boy, a tax collector, a man with a speech impediment, even a prostitute.
I love the song from Casting Crowns that goes like this:
Why You ever chose me
Has always been a mystery
All my life I've been told I belong
At the end of the line
With all the other not-quites
With all the never-get-it-rights
But it turns out they're the ones You were looking for
All this time
’Cause I'm just a nobody
Trying to tell everybody
All about Somebody
Who saved my soul
Ever since You rescued me
You gave my heart a song to sing
I’m living for the world to see
Nobody but Jesus
Even though Kirk Cameron is a “somebody” to the world, he and his family live in a way that reflects “nobody but Jesus.” I so appreciate that, and at the same time I’m challenged by it – to embrace the call that God has placed on my life “for such a time as this.”
Pictured above: John Davis, Rebecca Davis, & Kirk Cameron