Sometimes, the greatest gift someone can give us, is his or her story.
Their story is priceless. However, it is their story to tell, and not mine. Other stories though evolved as I watched and listened and saw all that happened over minutes and hours and days. Somehow in that small fraction of time, hundreds of minutes, I watched a story.
Goofy? Yes. Absolutely, 100 percent, goofy. Compassionate? 150 percent. Even as a child, his heart ached, ached for others. I was self-conscious and worrying about matching, and he was worried about the hurts of another child. This girl, you see, was not like the others. She was messy. She was not attractive, and she did not smell good. I can remember being a child and knowing when something was not clean, and not wanting to have anything to do with it, but he... he did not let her exterior dissuade him from becoming her friend.
And, he was her friend. I do not know the length of time that he remained by her side. I do not know the lunch hours he spent talking with her. All I know is that he said, he could not leave her alone. He could not leave her to face the big lunch room, and the students who accompany that place, alone. I can imagine they talked about school, and assignments and teachers, and hobbies that they enjoyed when they were free in the summer.
It did not take the other kids long to figure it out that they had a new target. Object 1, well, she didn't look so nice, and since Object 2 hung around her... he must not look so nice either.
Kids are cruel. His heart was broken daily as words like rocks were thrown at him, smashing him down and causing him to question his cause. He could leave her. There was no rule or requirement that forced him to be with her. He could and no one would blame him. The trouble is, he couldn't. God placed that girl in his heart on purpose, and he wouldn't abandon her. And so he didn't. He stuck by her side. As the other kids mocked and jeered, he kept tucked in his heart words of songs, and promises of a Savior who had designed a great purpose for his life. The whole time kids were laughing, he moved about shining. Eventually, I'm sure he lost touch. I cannot but help believe, though, that she never forgot her friend.
I needed the reminder. The story was told almost nonchalantly, but as it was told, the attention of my heart was grasped. My burdens have been selfish as of late. Inconsiderate even. Totally inward. But, a child, the child who still lives in the grown man called out to me, reminding me that time is short, and the world is hurting. I am far removed from the elementary school cafeteria. (Shout out to all my York friends!) I am not so far removed though from the hurt I recall at being rejected, and disowned by "friends." I know the pain of not fitting in, and not knowing where I belong.
We live in a world full of titles, and clubs, and in-crowds and "out-crowds," and we hope that as we grow up, we learn to out grow those groups, but we don't. We look to fit in and belong. However, above all, there is ONE person to whom I must belong.... and He, He doesn't care what we look like, or what we bring to the table in our lunch boxes. He simply cares that we come.
To the little boy, who has worked so hard at shining, keep going. Don't give up, and don't get discouraged, even now remember God has GREAT plans for you, and the beautiful girl you now have has your wife. We cannot always see around the corner, but we can always be certain that God is waiting there with a big sign that says, "You are NOT gonna believe what I have planned next!"
To those of you uncertain about your place, and finding where you belong, talk to me. I can show you the way. There's always room at His table.
Much love to all,
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