I work in a café/coffee shop owned by an Irishman. It’s pretty amazing sometimes. My favorite thing about this job is that I get to meet really interesting people every day, and constantly learn more about the acquaintances I already know. The shop is pretty quiet during weekday afternoons, so there’s ample time for conversation.
Today was especially slow, but I got to have one mind-blowing chat. Not an hour into my shift, a man came in who plays music with my boss. When I first started working there in August, this guy I’ll call Michael came in all the time, but has become scarce since he got himself a lady friend a couple months back. Michael’s a kind man in his late fifties; his humble demeanor is accentuated by the baseball cap and tinted glasses he always wears, which give him this mysterious air.
He gets his usual sandwich and sits down at the high table across from the counter, and we catch up a little. Then my boss leaves, and the conversation somehow shifts from the mundane to the profound. Michael launches into a crazy story—and imagine this being told in the most matter-of-fact way by a typical, Midwestern guy:
“My aunt passed away last week. And I have no idea why these things happen to me, but I woke up that night in the middle of the night. I tossed and turned for about an hour and couldn’t go back to sleep. Then I turned over, and I saw her there. She seemed so happy…”
Michael recounted other times when he had seen dead people, seven or eight times, he said. One was his father. Another he saw two months after her death, in a field or a yard near where she had lived. When he told his relatives where he had seen her, they dug into the soil and found some trinkets and photos buried there!
As I listened to all of this, I found myself responding calmly, while freaking out inside. On one hand, I mostly believe all of this. We’ve had other conversations about his spiritual life, and this man walks more in the supernatural than most people I know. He has a legitimate relationship with God that is surprisingly Biblical in spite of the fact that he has admittedly never read the Bible.
Yet… what the heck? We’re talking ghosts here, man! I don’t know what to think about that! What makes a person able to see the dead—whether a natural, chemical phenomenon or something certifiably not of this world? And if it’s not of this world, from which side does that come? It’s so bizarre to me.
I guess, though, that at the end of the day it doesn’t really matter. I love this guy. I pray that he will continue to know the Lord in all His fullness, and all His love for him.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Thesis Statement
Characters welcome.
This is the slogan developed by USA to promote their personality-driven TV shows. I think it’s genius—because I wanted to adopt it as my own the moment I heard it.
Because the honest truth is that my life revolves around characters. The stranger people are, the more they deviate from the norm, the more I like them. In fact, the moment I discover an out-there personality trait in a person is one life’s greatest joys. Some people you meet are obviously interesting; they wear weird stuff, have crazy mermaids tattooed on their arms, have intriguing body language or some other trait that tells you something interesting is going on behind their face. Others have hidden treasures that will surface suddenly during a conversation or new environment. They’re all amazing. People are so amazing.
What’s fascinating, though, is that we’re all characters. That means we’re unique, quirky little creatures with distinct features and habits. It also means that we’re all part of a story, and always changing. I’m persuaded that many of the experiences we have (whether we would call them good or bad) are woven into our lives by God to build character. I guess that means to make people more God-like: more loving, kind, patient, peaceful, humble, joyful, self-controlled. They’re specially configured for us, and we each react in distinct ways.
I don’t want to pretend I’ve got any of this figured out. People are too mysterious to stick into any formula. What I’m really here for is to delight in the beauty of individuals and their stories—my own included. Hopefully there will be anecdotes, full-on stories, reflections, and questions. And should you happen to recognize yourself in one of my characters, don’t be offended. It is the highest honor and expression of love I can pay you.
This is the slogan developed by USA to promote their personality-driven TV shows. I think it’s genius—because I wanted to adopt it as my own the moment I heard it.
Because the honest truth is that my life revolves around characters. The stranger people are, the more they deviate from the norm, the more I like them. In fact, the moment I discover an out-there personality trait in a person is one life’s greatest joys. Some people you meet are obviously interesting; they wear weird stuff, have crazy mermaids tattooed on their arms, have intriguing body language or some other trait that tells you something interesting is going on behind their face. Others have hidden treasures that will surface suddenly during a conversation or new environment. They’re all amazing. People are so amazing.
What’s fascinating, though, is that we’re all characters. That means we’re unique, quirky little creatures with distinct features and habits. It also means that we’re all part of a story, and always changing. I’m persuaded that many of the experiences we have (whether we would call them good or bad) are woven into our lives by God to build character. I guess that means to make people more God-like: more loving, kind, patient, peaceful, humble, joyful, self-controlled. They’re specially configured for us, and we each react in distinct ways.
I don’t want to pretend I’ve got any of this figured out. People are too mysterious to stick into any formula. What I’m really here for is to delight in the beauty of individuals and their stories—my own included. Hopefully there will be anecdotes, full-on stories, reflections, and questions. And should you happen to recognize yourself in one of my characters, don’t be offended. It is the highest honor and expression of love I can pay you.
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