You Can Call Me Al.
Yesterday I went to the YMCA. My usual routine is to bring a good book, get some sweet tunes flowing, and zone out on the eliptical machine for 35+ minutes. Well, yesterday was a bit different. I got to the Y at around 8:30am. I got my stuff put away in my locker and headed out headphones in place, book in hand.
The selection for the day was "A Testament of Devotion" by Thomas R. Kelly (on loan from Nathan.) I got up on the machine ready to zone out when through my headphone I hear, "Hi!"
I think, "Uh! People!...I just want to zone out, listen to praise songs, read a good book, and focus my heart on Jesus, all while burning a few calories!"
And then I hear, "What...are you ...reading?"
I stop. (but i keep jogging) Take out the headphone from one ear and turn to see the guy exercising right next to me. In my left ear I hear Matt Redman singing about falling facedown before the Lord in worship. In my right ear I hear Michael Jackson singing about how "It's not my baby." And I look over and see Al. Al is a young guy, probably around 20. I see him often enough at the Y. I knew who he was but we never talked other than a cordial "Hi" either before or after I got into my "meditative zone."
This day was different. When he asked about my book I thought, "Here we go." And so I told him I hadn't even begun it yet...but it was about God. I hoped that would scare him and throw him off. He kept jogging. Turned and said a hello to the person on the other side of him. I thought, "Yes! I'm free." I put in my head phone, turned my head and read the introduction. It was about finding God in the midst of the busyiness of life.
Not two minutes later, I notice Al looking at me. "Ok...ok God!" I thought. I take out both headphones this time and Al says, "God, huh? Wow!" The conversation began.
We had a beutiful interchange weaving in and out of God, the Bible, Church, and Hell with the Lakers, Ice Hockey, Star Wars and shopping. In the midst of the conversation I felt God tugging at my heart for Al and I prayed for the gift of discernment in that moment. Al is a bit mentally challenged. His speach is very slurred and it takes him a long time to say anything. He's a cute kid, but one of the "unlovelies" by the world's definition. But it was so beautiful to have a very basic and simple conversation about Yoda doing flips and tricks with the lightsaber (I told him my boys LOVED Star Wars!) to talking about the Lakers to talking about How Al believes in God and loves Jesus and doesn't want to go "down there" because "down there" is bad. I said my kids don't want to go "down there" either. And do you know what the worst part of going "down there" is? It's being without God forever. "I KNOW!" Says Al. I told him my kids are excited to go to heaven because there they can live forever with God! Al seemed excited too at the possibility.
As his exercise routine finished, he kept going another 12 minutes just so we could both finish at the same time. So sweet.
It was just so sweet talking to someone whom i haven't yet even given the time of day. But for those 35 minutes he became a sweet friend. Now, nothing major happened by anyone's standards. But putting down the headphones and the "book about God" freed me up in that moment to Worship God through my conversation with Al. Who knew the Lakers could lead you into to worship? But getting to know the heart of one of God's precious creations was priceless. On the one hand, there is nothing special about Al...but on the other hand Al is immeasurable to our God. And through taking the time to talk to him, God gave me more joy than I could have asked for. It was beautiful.
How many times do we miss the beauty of God's agenda because we are too caught up in our own?
The selection for the day was "A Testament of Devotion" by Thomas R. Kelly (on loan from Nathan.) I got up on the machine ready to zone out when through my headphone I hear, "Hi!"
I think, "Uh! People!...I just want to zone out, listen to praise songs, read a good book, and focus my heart on Jesus, all while burning a few calories!"
And then I hear, "What...are you ...reading?"
I stop. (but i keep jogging) Take out the headphone from one ear and turn to see the guy exercising right next to me. In my left ear I hear Matt Redman singing about falling facedown before the Lord in worship. In my right ear I hear Michael Jackson singing about how "It's not my baby." And I look over and see Al. Al is a young guy, probably around 20. I see him often enough at the Y. I knew who he was but we never talked other than a cordial "Hi" either before or after I got into my "meditative zone."
This day was different. When he asked about my book I thought, "Here we go." And so I told him I hadn't even begun it yet...but it was about God. I hoped that would scare him and throw him off. He kept jogging. Turned and said a hello to the person on the other side of him. I thought, "Yes! I'm free." I put in my head phone, turned my head and read the introduction. It was about finding God in the midst of the busyiness of life.
Not two minutes later, I notice Al looking at me. "Ok...ok God!" I thought. I take out both headphones this time and Al says, "God, huh? Wow!" The conversation began.
We had a beutiful interchange weaving in and out of God, the Bible, Church, and Hell with the Lakers, Ice Hockey, Star Wars and shopping. In the midst of the conversation I felt God tugging at my heart for Al and I prayed for the gift of discernment in that moment. Al is a bit mentally challenged. His speach is very slurred and it takes him a long time to say anything. He's a cute kid, but one of the "unlovelies" by the world's definition. But it was so beautiful to have a very basic and simple conversation about Yoda doing flips and tricks with the lightsaber (I told him my boys LOVED Star Wars!) to talking about the Lakers to talking about How Al believes in God and loves Jesus and doesn't want to go "down there" because "down there" is bad. I said my kids don't want to go "down there" either. And do you know what the worst part of going "down there" is? It's being without God forever. "I KNOW!" Says Al. I told him my kids are excited to go to heaven because there they can live forever with God! Al seemed excited too at the possibility.
As his exercise routine finished, he kept going another 12 minutes just so we could both finish at the same time. So sweet.
It was just so sweet talking to someone whom i haven't yet even given the time of day. But for those 35 minutes he became a sweet friend. Now, nothing major happened by anyone's standards. But putting down the headphones and the "book about God" freed me up in that moment to Worship God through my conversation with Al. Who knew the Lakers could lead you into to worship? But getting to know the heart of one of God's precious creations was priceless. On the one hand, there is nothing special about Al...but on the other hand Al is immeasurable to our God. And through taking the time to talk to him, God gave me more joy than I could have asked for. It was beautiful.
How many times do we miss the beauty of God's agenda because we are too caught up in our own?
posted by Kyrie Eleison at 10:50 AM
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