Thankfully Respect the Unexpected

I had a weird dream. It is always hard to describe everything in a dream but here are the highlights: My older brother and I were in a dark Navy-gray parking garage trying to find our car, and we just got in a cage-like elevator when my brother knelt down to tie his shoe. As he was tying, the cage door started to close and a man arrived trying to get on the elevator too. We stuck our arms out to hold the doors open and he climbed aboard. He was yammering on about us being in his way, and he was obviously a bit wrinkled by it. He said something about Jesus and him being Christian, and as he stepped on the elevator I could see some form of a soldier/crewman's uniform which he was wearing. In my dream it looked more like a dark jump-suit with Boy Scout badges all over it, and a shiny compass was pinned to his chest. He had done a lot based on all the badges, but the compass told me something about him knowing where he was going, or not. He was still spouting off about expecting but not getting any respect, and based on his tone, it sounded like he believed he never did..., from anyone. When he finished I spoke to him. Which is strange because I usually ignore folks that don't respect the unexpected like this..., it makes life easier.

I asked him if he knew what it was like to have a child who didn't have the memory to know and recognize that he was his father. He said, "no." I went on to ask him if he knew anything about hanging out with people with special needs, and what life like that could be like, in any way shape or form. He said, "no." I went on about other things of which he had no clue because it was not part of his expected lifestyle. I mentioned that just because his life isn't what he expected and that someone might be an obstacle in his way, tying their shoe while he was trying to get on an elevator is not a testament or judgement against him or all he has ever done, or where he was headed. Some things just happen. This levelled the playing field. Quickly we both began to get waterfalls around our eyes. He because someone took the time to address him and his venting; me because I actually had the guts to speak up to someone who was reacting unreasonably to something that just happened exactly like the bumper sticker from the 70's said. I asked him if we could pray and we began to studder through together, weeping...then I woke up.

Thursday night at Circle of Friends was a bit like my dream. Jeff called early in the day and told me he was sick and couldn't make it. Jeff and I are beginning to "do" the devotions together again. I prayed he would join me in presenting God's word to our group, and I was thrilled when he and I were together again a few weeks ago for the first time in years. We have a balance of silly and serious, one of us is Dean and the other Jerry, one Abbott, the other Costello, one Spongebob, the other Patrick. It has worked in Hollywood for years, and it does at Circle of Friends too. I was sad that Dean/Bud/Spongebob was ill and couldn't make it. I reassured him that it'd be O.K., and that he would be missed, but everyone needs their rest from time-to-time.

Rick called earlier in the week to let me know I needed to drive the van, and after I picked up the group and got to Forest Hill, our night of "Thanksgiving Worship" and "Joyful Noise" began. I was ready for the devotion of the evening. It was, I thought, perfectly timed. We had had the "Fire and Brimstone," devotion, and we were leading up to tonight's "Jesus Died and Rose Again, So What?" devotion. It was perfectly set-up with our Thanksgiving time. Dave even mentioned in the opening prayer how the saving message of Christ's death and resurrection was what we should be most thankful for...eternal life. PERFECT TIMING! Thank you God! With or without Jeff, I was excited to present the word that explains this to our group. I should have seen with Rick and Jeff's calls that my expected evening would not go as I planned.

Unexpected #1 - I don't care to drive the bus. I mentioned that to Phil before. I'm a small guy and have a tough time seeing over the dashboard of that monster (I almost need to stand to drive,) let alone steer this leviathon around south Charlotte. I will drive it, but I am still working on doing it with a joyful heart. Unexpected #2 - Jeff's sick, I go it alone..., come-on man, just when I thought things were developing wonderfully well! Well, O.K.

Unexpected #3 - The evening starts as planned and everyone is singing and worshipping together. I know that the schedule is going to be a bit off as we have our friends come up to sing with the band during a "Joyful Noise" night. This takes time. Kathy also planned to read notes that our group wrote about things that they were/are thankful for. This takes time too. "Thanksgiving Worship" and "Joyful Noise" night together, as stated before. It began as a lovely blend of singing and thanks. I was sitting with Jim who was operating the Powerpoint stuff, as I was monitoring the various microphone volumes for a smooth more joyful sound for everyone not singing.

I felt that the time was nearing for the devotion so I took off my shoes and socks, and said a short prayer to get ready. (Remember..."holy ground." I know, I know..., crazy.) Everyone kept singing, and Kathy read more notes of thanks. So I put my socks and shoes back on, and waited. Some time went by and I felt that I should be ready again, so I took off my shoes and socks, and said a short prayer again. Songs and thanks kept coming, endlessly. Needless to say, I picked up my socks and shoes, and put them back on, again. This happened a few times that night until Kathy stopped and looked over to me as if to ask "What's next?" I was geeked-up to jump right up there and rattle off that devotion, I could nearly burst, from my excitment. God's perfect message perfectly timed, how thankful we'd all be I thought. But, it was time for refreshments. Dave just mentioned to me what I already knew; our crowd had been sitting for a long time, and it was time for refreshments. I half-heartedly said/yelled to Kathy (who was standing at the microphone with 325+ folks waiting), "time for a management decision!" She didn't answer. I called back, "Let's do refreshments and snack!"

At that moment, I respected the unexpected - joyfully. I put myself in any place but first. That doesn't always happen. At least not if I have anything to say or do about it. But, when you are standing with your shoes off on holy ground to say His words to a few hundred people every week, I believe you better act like your shoes are off always. I was following my compass the right way, and was not in a dark gray place, like the dream. Maybe the night and the devotion I was so juiced up to deliver was not perfectly timed, according to me?!?! Maybe (as always) it will be timed perfectly according to the One who wrote it. When Kathy and Dave were kindly apologizing for the mixed-up timing regarding the devotion, I was already past it. That was one great gift I was given that night. Another was a quote from J.C. on this sheet he gave me with a boat-load of Thanksgiving poems, quotes, and jokes. Someone once said something like, "It is not the words we use to say thanks for the gifts we've been given, but the way we use our gifts that shows our thanks." (Forgive me for not remembering the person, or the exact quote.) Thanks be to God for giving me the gift of respecting the unexpected this week. It is His expectations I truly want to fulfill anyhow. I pray we all have this to be thankful for.