foosball & whopper BO
There is a guy named Jeremy who attends my new church in NC. He just turned 27 last month and comes to church whenever he's not at work. He works at wal mart as a cart collector and, from what I've heard, a dang good one. Jeremy is special; he has a passion for Christ that can only be articulated by the scripture that talks of 'childlikeness' in the presence of God. I'm not sure of the technical wording but, Jeremy has a learning disability that keeps him at the mental capacity of someone 10 years younger than he is.
Today we spent a half hour playing foosball and talking about bowling, wal mart, and how "all Christian music is just awesome." I tell ya, he wanted to be here. But I, honestly, had a lot of other things I could have been doing. In fact, we sat down in my office at 8:58 AM and I had already looked at my watch by 9:05...I felt terrible.
After I realized he didn't want to just sit and talk I asked him if he wanted to walk around the church with me and explore...he got pretty excited about that. So we headed off tot eh Sunday school rooms and played some foosball in the Sr high room for awhile.
During that game I realized how screwed up I really am. I seriously did not want to lose to him. I pride myself as being a noncompetitive guy, but I realize now that I'm the same as everyone else...I just front that way when I'm around others who are more competitive than I am. I realized this after the first 5 minutes of foosball with my friend.
We started to play and I took off to an early lead of 6-2. Memories of 'never winning' and 'not caring about it' back in college came rushing through my mind. It's like I thought, by winning now, I'm showing those guys who beat me before that I'm somebody when it comes to this avenue of life. I was proving myself by beating a guy who just wanted to spend some time with me.
It never really hit me until about8:40 AM when we were in my office again I was saying goodbye and explaining that I have some work I need to get to now, that he grabbed my hand and said, "I'll pray for you and you pray for me." Then, without me having a chance to properly react to his proposal, he began to pray for me. To thank God for his pastor 'who cares about him' and 'whom he doesn't know what he'd do without.'
God broke me as Jeremy left today. His hygiene is not something to brag about. He can't sit still or carry an adult conversation for more than 3 minutes. But Jeremy is loved by God and he lives it. The truth is, he probably wouldn't understand what he did for me today but I'm going to thank him anyway.
I'm done writing now...
Jared Bell
Today we spent a half hour playing foosball and talking about bowling, wal mart, and how "all Christian music is just awesome." I tell ya, he wanted to be here. But I, honestly, had a lot of other things I could have been doing. In fact, we sat down in my office at 8:58 AM and I had already looked at my watch by 9:05...I felt terrible.
After I realized he didn't want to just sit and talk I asked him if he wanted to walk around the church with me and explore...he got pretty excited about that. So we headed off tot eh Sunday school rooms and played some foosball in the Sr high room for awhile.
During that game I realized how screwed up I really am. I seriously did not want to lose to him. I pride myself as being a noncompetitive guy, but I realize now that I'm the same as everyone else...I just front that way when I'm around others who are more competitive than I am. I realized this after the first 5 minutes of foosball with my friend.
We started to play and I took off to an early lead of 6-2. Memories of 'never winning' and 'not caring about it' back in college came rushing through my mind. It's like I thought, by winning now, I'm showing those guys who beat me before that I'm somebody when it comes to this avenue of life. I was proving myself by beating a guy who just wanted to spend some time with me.
It never really hit me until about8:40 AM when we were in my office again I was saying goodbye and explaining that I have some work I need to get to now, that he grabbed my hand and said, "I'll pray for you and you pray for me." Then, without me having a chance to properly react to his proposal, he began to pray for me. To thank God for his pastor 'who cares about him' and 'whom he doesn't know what he'd do without.'
God broke me as Jeremy left today. His hygiene is not something to brag about. He can't sit still or carry an adult conversation for more than 3 minutes. But Jeremy is loved by God and he lives it. The truth is, he probably wouldn't understand what he did for me today but I'm going to thank him anyway.
I'm done writing now...
Jared Bell
posted by Jared at 6:42 AM
5 Comments:
Jeremy, Jeremy where to begin you see peole stare at him or move away from him, why because he's loud he's energetic, no because he has something they don't have the courage to accept God's love and run to it with reckless abandenment. When i first met him it was overwelming a man running to hug you and can actually lift me who wieghs almost 200 lbs of the ground. But when you see him for what he is you relize that his is a Gift from above, a gift from our Father saying stop caring what everyone else thinks, sing to Me LOUD, dance for Me, pray to Me, love like Me. Thats what Jeremy has taught me to be more like Christ to be childlike, to lose myself in Christ.
thanks Tim
Odd how God works... he puts people in our lives so we can share Jesus with them - then they end up being Jesus to us.
I just logged on to check out your latest blog and see what was on my son's heart. stab. We did a drama a couple months ago that brought this message home. Wiping my tears. praying for you too. mom.
Thanks for that Jared!
Post a Comment
<< Home