I am taking this Sunday to enter a story that is a departure from the usual posts, but I think will have a direct impact on Hailee and the rest of the Driskill family - so this is an appropriate forum.
I left home this past Wednesday to go to a job site that my company is responsible for - and no sooner than I boarded the plane, the storms of life began to surround my family, my wife's extended family, and my extended family. We seem to be the focal point of these storms, because our stance on several issues - and in some cases our imperfect ability to express God's truth - has made everyone we love more than a little angry with us. They feel that we are being cold, uncaring, and judgemental; when every intention we have comes from hearts that are broken, contrite, and pleading for truth.
All of this happening at home, while I am not even there to deal with these issues face-to-face with the people who are hurt, is creating stress in my family like I have never seen before. All of it leaves me asking God, "What are you doing?" Here is His answer:
I arrived at the job site on Wednesday afternoon, only to find that all of our electrical crew had alrady returned home. That is, all except for one person - a guy named "Red". He's a little older than me, battle-scarred, wild-eyed - but a genuinely nice guy hidden below a rough exterior. He's worked the carnival circuit, driven trucks, had a couple of brushes with the law, and countless other stories that I can't share here. When I asked him about his family, he told me about his wife by saying, "I cuss her a little, but I wouldn't want to be without her." Without a doubt, Red has a command of explicatives that few have achieved. He can cuss, and almost make it sound like poetry!
I purposed in my heart to get to know Red. When I first attempted to ask where he stood with the Lord, I got the answer I expected. It started with, "Now, I ain't try to knock religion or anything, but..." Red knew where I was coming from: I had prayed at the start of our meals together each day - he knew I was "one of those". If it hadn't been for the fact that I'm one of the owners of this struggling little company, he might just as well have broken me in half...
Yesterday, we all went to the metal-shed-turned-into-a-restaurant that's across from the plant for lunch. As we talked, Red was blowing my mind with his casual stories of an amazingly reckless life, all the while oblivious to the fact that everyone in the small dining area was listening-in as he let his foul language fly. Then, the "religion" word came up again, and I saw an opportunity to talk about Christ.
This is no dramatization - it's the truth: as I began to say the first word I was thinking, the entire room became as quiet as a hospital. It was literally like the old E.F. Hutton commercial. I even remember trying to lower my voice so as not to be too disruptive in so quiet a room. It was a very strange thing...
I simply said something close to this: "Red, people are just people. Whether people think we're rich or poor - whether we are the "owners" or the "installation crew" - we are all poor, helpless slaves. We can't stop doing what's wrong and start doing what's right no matter how hard we try. If that wasn't true, then Jesus never would have died to cancel our debt to God. I guess now I'm a slave to Him - because everybody's a slave to something."
...an eternal silence of less than two seconds followed...
In that moment, I saw Red's lip quiver just a little. Then, as quickly as the words were spoken, the conversation turned to whatever else... But I was still stuck in the moment...
Red doesn't claim to know the Lord. My heart is hopeful that one day he will. Until then, I would expect him to go on acting like the world acts. But, every once in a while, I pray that the Holy Spirit will recall the short conversation to Red's memory - and he will consider the master he is serving.
When I left the job site yesterday, Red was the first to shake my hand and blurt out a quick "Be safe."
The storms in my family and Cindys stem from people who claim to know the Lord, but continue in obvious sin, even when it's humbly pointed out to them through tears. I've been in that boat before, and it's a miserable place for a believer to be. Cindy and I have tried to voice the truth that an unrepentant heart will lead to lots of pain down the road - but we have been shunned as "judgemental" by people we love very much.
But the ray of hope that the Lord gave me this week is Red. My mission field is the job site. I've been called to share the truth with people who will listen. When the folks who already know about Jesus tell me to shut up - that's when I'll remember that God can talk to them. I don't need to defend Him, or to worry about whether I am liked or not.
I'll go talk to folks like Red, and follow Christ. If God is smiling, it really doesn't matter who is frowning.
Lesson learned Father! Thanks for getting me in line...
My son and daughter need to know that their parents are serious about holding on to Him no matter what. Even when we get everything wrong in our weak little minds - we will still hold on to Him. There is no other god we can go to for truth. So, I'm happy to be a slave to the God of grace.
