Sitting here enjoying a little time of reflection and I am reminded of a story from about 4 years ago when I was working with the Matthews United Methodist Church youth group:
So I had been working for about a month and I was working very hard to get to know the youth and find that common ground. I was slowly learning more and more names and different hobbies that the youth had. One common hobby we had was certainly Ultimate Frisbee. I never was very good, but I loved playing.
Well one day one of the youth invited me to play with a group, of course I took the opportunity to hang out and enjoy a competitive game (AKA: the chance to run around and act like I know what I am doing, but really don't). I showed up at the field at 7 sharp and loe and behold, I did not know one kid out there except the couple that had invited me to play. Intimidating at first, but man then I thought about it later that night and I realized this was a game that was just with their friends and I was invited into that circle!
In my head, I had made it! I had made it past this awkward barrier of that goofy guy that puts underwear outside of his pants (dressed up as quail man) and has too much energy. I was a friend.
So the reason this story is so wonderfully relevant is what happened last night at the shelter I help serve a meal at on Thursday nights called My Brothers Keeper.
At this shelter I get to see a lot of the same guys and I am pretty sure most guys dont know my name, but they recognize me or know that I work at NOAH so they call me "Noah" (or one guy called me "White Lightening" for a while because of my bike, but that is a whole different story). Anyway, I walked in on Thursday saying the usual hellos to the guys that I knew and when I shook mans hand he just looks at me with a genuine look of compassion and says, "Was wondering where you were last week, were you sick? Are you alright?"
While I recognize that this man may not even know my name, he noticed I wasn't there last week! And on top of that there seemed to be a legitimate question as to how I was. We talked for a few more moments and sat together at worship, but man the only thing going through my head was "You've made it Brandon!" Little pleasures in life, and man this is one of them, may we continue to reach out and care about those around us!
Tonight was my first time at the Bright Teens group that's meeting out at West Outer Drive in Brightmoor... and I am so glad to read your blog right now. Because I am in the first part of these stories, and am glad to know that the second part does indeed happen! :-) I know we'll find that common ground, but those first steps are sometimes kind of shaky.
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