New Years In Life

First thing I did come 2008 was to rescue a kitten from up a tree. Just kidding it was way too cold for that. On New Years Eve, there was an old friend of mine stranded downtown having missed his corresponding flight because of a late bus. He calls me up and with happiness I get ready to scoop him up. I haven’t seen this French guy in over a year. He’s totally a funny, loving and gentle dude.

I remembered the last time we talked: it was weeks before I became born again. So now I’m super stoked to show him the works of the Lord in my life and the turnaround I had. So my minds made up! I can’t revert or cower into who I was when he knew me best. So with the eager assistance of the Spirit, I’m practicing all the best angles of my testimony in my head. I’m thinking of Bible verses and important points to bring up about the singularity of God’s truth and how huge praying is. He’ll get to meet my new league of friends at a fun masquerade party.

Then wham: he calls back and says that he needs to catch a flight tonight or else he’ll lose his ticket. We continued with a, “it would have been nice to see each other” rant. I was completely bummed. As soon as I hung up, I just thought about how set my mind was; how mad and sad I was that I wasn’t going to see my friend. I was acting stubborn and disappointed.

Then I though of how God has His “mind” set on me. So when His plan for my life was being traded for habitual sin, I imagine God got stubborn and disappointed. So I prayed about it, wondered why and just gave the situation up to Jesus. I told Him that my friend needed to rest the truth... Well I went to my party, made a sweet mask, dodged dancing and saw the ball drop.

Not more than ten minutes into ’08 I get this call from my French buddy telling me to come pick him up, he didn’t catch a flight. Instead, he booked a flight for New Years Day at no extra charge! So I go pick him up. I was thrilled to see him and spend time with him. It was joyful and I shared my faith with him.

Then we woke up, I shared some more philosophical and artistic points of how great God is (and proved it by showing the new condo to him). I told him what a big blessing my job was, how my weaknesses are being whipped into shape there. I think he really got a good picture of the “new lease on life” I have. After we killed time by visiting Red Rocks, one of my favorite places in Denver area.

So tonight I’m praying for his turn around. That the people he sits next to will continue to steer him to Jesus or that a Bible will become available for him. If he writes me I’ll try and give him one. Mostly though I’m praying for that defining moment where a total paradigm shift occurs at the feet of Christ the King.