Monday, March 12, 2012

Special Friends

This weekend we were super blessed to have some houseguests. My wife’s cousin from Cali and his son came out for spring training. I was rather surprised that Tim and his son would spend the $$ on coming to AZ to catch some pre-season games with the Oakland A’s. I enjoy baseball and as a kid growing up did Little League and Babe Ruth League. Yet, as I sat in a rather small seat and watched the cuz do the scores it impressed me. I was surprised that both of them knew all of the new up and coming stars. I was shocked when they were talking about this 26 million dollar ‘kid’ from Cuba who hit a homer on his second time up – WOW!

I am spoiled to have some amazing friends who are ‘famous’ in their own situation. So as I am talking to our cousin I am humbled that this well published author and world traveler treated me as a peer that could converse about his up and coming project. He had come out to better understand our work in the hood and very much wanted to attend our worship service at night. The reality, which is awesome for better understanding real life priorities, is that we are family. We share much in common with our adult kids and their circuitous paths. As parents we do have goals and dreams for our kids that partially come to fruition but also frustrations or fears of missed opportunities.

It was Anne’s Uncle that was kinda like my spiritual mentor when I was deciding about moving from Cali to AZ. He was someone that I enjoyed dialoguing about faith, family and the future. After I came to the decision to move my dad out to Arizona it was this cousin that I called and e-mailed often to get a better understanding about Dementia. It was his dad who struggled with memory loss years before my dad. It was my long distance observation of Tim’s heart and passion to be around his dad and live one day at a time with his father whether he recognized him or not.

While we were in the Bay Area we would do Thanksgiving with this side of the family. We had a private family joke about one of the cousins who loved to make ‘natural or organic’ pumpkin pie that looked on the green side. This became a topic of conversation now over 16 years after the fact. What drew us together really is our faith journey and passion to be both missional and able to understand the culture around us. I love what I do and where we are called to serve. I had to admit that I would love to travel and write as this cousin has over his lifetime. Yet, as Tim described his life to Terrance, my live in son, it isn't glamourus but at times lonely work. Yeah, I am a people person that is always surrounded by friends or potential friends who I am anxious to share the gospel and hear their story.

This has been a great week with another special friend in town from Canada. He had been your CEO type in both a large international company and a much smaller company closer to his hometown. We hadn’t seen each other in over 10 years but it was if we just saw each other a few weeks ago. Rich hasn’t left his business world but has entered into the church-planting world of having an amazing eye to understand the people who live in his town. He has creatively designed a church that fits the pagan culture of Canada. He is someone who in business or real life isn’t going to compromise his convictions for anyone or anything. This is why I love him!

It is a ‘God thing’ that has allowed me to be around some rather amazing people who are on the move for the expansion of the kingdom. I always know that if see any of them that I will both be challenged, encouraged and able to also share my passion and present life circumstances. Yeah, going to an A’s game was a lot of fun with Anne’s cousin. Much as it was great meeting my Canadian friend at my breakfast place – Matt’s.

I know the real truth is that God is my special friend who knows me by name and understands my oddities.

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