You Will Overcome Difficult Times

My mom, Danika and I have been in Salt Lake City for the past few days attending a convention and visiting family.  There is a brand new mall here in Salt Lake called City Creek that took the place of two older malls across the street from each other.  Naturally, I wanted to see it.  Yesterday we finally had the chance.  After our last session at the convention we walked up a few blocks and entered the mall from Nordstrom—the only visible store from where we were.  Exiting Nordstrom on the other side was like entering into another world.  There are only two words I can think of to describe this (outdoor)mall adequately—High Class.  It was pristine, there was a fountain that filled your ears with the peaceful sound of rushing water.  There was a Porsche Design store in this mall.  I didn't know those existed...  Of course, I was wearing my peaked lapel suit, rockin' a full windsor and my D&G shades so I fit right in.  My mom and Danika were both dressed to a T as well coming from the convention.

We didn't go through any stores, just walked around in awe while making our way to the street that divides the two sections of the mall.  There is even a sky bridge that connects them.  When we got there, my mom began explaining to Danika and I the history behind this location—she grew up in Salt Lake City—and what had been there before.  That's when we saw, Ron.  He was sitting on the sidewalk using the pole of a street sign as a backrest.  Wearing a green hat, white T-shirt, black jeans, and a pair of low-top converse shoes, he held a sign in front of him that read: Out of work, please help—God bless was written underneath.  The three of us removed our sunglasses, went over and sat next to him on the sidewalk.  We introduced ourselves, and with his head down and the bill of his hat covering his eyes he told us his name.  We asked him if he wouldn't mind sharing his story with us.  Still averting his eyes, Ron began to tell us that he had been out of work for nearly two years, and looking for jobs at places like Deseret Industries (where he worked several years ago), K-Mart, Walmart, and the like.  He did have a small apartment, but nobody had a job for him.

His parents split when he was three months old.  He believes his dad is somewhere in the area, but is out of contact with him.  Ron told us he has a brother who lives in Colorado, but again he is out of contact with him as well.  We told him we couldn't offer him a job, but asked if he was hungry.  Ron looked straight at us and said yes.  After inquiring, we found out he liked Chinese food.  At the convention, a lady we met gave us the card to a Chinese restaurant and told us we had to try it because it was so amazing.  I pulled it up on my iPhone only to find it was about three blocks away.  So we began to walk.

On our way I had to make a stop by the Marriott to pick up some food our friends had left over—which we ended up giving to Ron—from their stay in Salt Lake City.  My mom and Danika waited with Ron outside while I ran up and picked up the food.  While I was inside, Ron decided to have a smoke.  He saw a man in a black suit with a red power tie also having a smoke.  Ron decided to join him, and asked the man how he was doing.  Surprisingly, the man responded to Ron instead of blowing him off.  They carried on a small conversation, and as I exited the hotel I saw the business man discreetly hand my mom some cash knowing we were with him and said, "here's twenty for dinner," then walked into the hotel.

The four of us continued our walk to the restaurant.  After a minute or two of silence, Ron piped up and said, "that guy handed her some money."  We didn't know how to respond.  Thankfully, Ron continued, "did you know that man?"  My mom told him she didn't know him and Ron replied, "so he was just a nice guy?  That's cool."  My mom replied saying he just wanted to help in his own way.

We found the restaurant and sat down at a table.  The three of us ordered appetizers because we were going to dinner with family a little later; Ron ordered the shrimp chow mein and couldn't even finish it all.  I got him a box so he could take it home.  The waiter gave us our customary fortune cookies.  As Ron opened his it dropped to the floor, so my mom gave him her's.  He ate the cookie and then read us his fortune:  You will overcome difficult times.  We never did pick up the fortune cookie that dropped on the ground—apologies to the restaurant employees—but it was apparent that this one was meant for him.  It was neat to hear him read it with a sincere, yet somber tone and put it in his pocket as we stood up from our table.

Before we left the restaurant we prayed with him.  He thanked us for everything, shook our hands, and then went his separate way.  I don't know that I will ever see Ron again, but I am happy we crossed paths with him.  I learned from him that it takes an incredible amount of courage to be humble.  Especially to have enough humility to write on a piece of cardboard to ask for help from others.  And though he did not seem to be a man of faith, he taught me that I need to have more of it.  So thank you, Ron.  You will continue to be in my prayers.

Gotta Love it When God Winks

Danika and I sat down for happy hour at the Cheesecake Factory a couple days ago.  After several stressful hours of wedding party outfit shopping, we were ready for some good food.  Fried macaroni and cheese to be exact.  If you haven't had it, go and get some.  At happy hour, when it is half price.  Your mind will be blown.  We showed up a half hour too early to take advantage of happy hour prices, so we to munch on their complementary bread until the happiest time of the day rolled around.  Two tables over from us sat a little lady, with her even littler mother who was visiting from England—sometimes I eavesdrop, what of it?  I overheard her explaining to the waiter the difference between shepherd's pie at the Cheesecake Factory and shepherd's pie in England.  Essentially, shepherd's pie in England doesn't have vegetables in its ingredient list.  I knew there was a reason I liked England so much—aside from its accent.

A few minutes before receiving our orders of fried macaroni and cheese—seriously, go get some—the little lady leaned over the table separating Danika and I from her and her English mother with a twenty in hand.  She told us that we looked like a cute couple and because of it wanted to pay for our meal, handed us the twenty and went back to talking with her mother.  We barely had the chance to say thank you.

As they were finishing their meal and getting ready to leave, she asked us if we would keep an eye on their bag of leftovers while she took her mother to the restroom.  When they returned Danika stood up, handed her the bag, and gave her a big hug while thanking her again.  She said it was nothing, that she just felt like she had to pay for our meal, and then left the restaurant.  We were left stunned and teary-eyed from her generosity.

Speak Well of Everyone

"Speak well of everyone."  These words were spoken by renown theologian, Miroslav Volf at the 2012 Justice Conference.  As the focal point of his talk he elaborated on these words.  It's quite simple really, speak well of everyone.  Not just your friends, your family, and people you admire, but also the socially awkward, your enemies, people you disagree with, and even people who do not speak well of you.

Speak well of everyone.

The following quote is an excerpt from a letter written by a Canadian woman in clear outrage of Muslim prisoners asking to be treated as human beings.

"When I see a wounded terrorist get shot in the head when he is told not to move because he might be booby-trapped, you can take it to the bank:

I don't care.  Shoot him again.

When I hear that a prisoner who was issued a Koran and a prayer mat and fed 'special' food that is paid for by my tax dollars is complaining that his holy book is being 'mishandled,' you can absolutely believe, in your heart of hearts:

I don't care.

And oh. by the way.  I've noticed that sometimes it's spelled 'Koran' and other times 'Quran.'  Well, Jimmy Crack Corn you guessed it.

I don't care!!"

She finishes it with...

"One last thought for the day:

Only five defining forces have ever offered to die for you:  Jesus Christ, the British soldier, the Canadian soldier, the US soldier, and the Australian soldier.

One died for your soul, the other four, for you and your children's freedom."

What the what!?  Is God's heart found anywhere in this?  I wish I could be accused of taking it out of context, but the entire letter is filled with this language.  No, Christians may not agree with the Muslim religion, or things Muslims have done and continue to do, but if Christians are ever going to reach the Muslim people, it will not be through hateful words.

That example is a little extreme.  Most do not go around saying belligerent, and downright hateful things about other people.  So what about the weird kid at school?  Or the annoying person you work with?  How about the people who don't like you, maybe even speak poorly about you?

Speak well of everyone.

Miroslav talked about how his father would remove himself from any conversation at the slightest whisper of gossip.  He wouldn't be abrupt; he would simply disengage and walk away because he didn't want to take part in it.  Since hearing this, I have tried my best to refrain from participating in negative talk of people.  If I don't have a way to remove myself from the situation, then I will do my best to defend that person, as I hope others would defend me.

If we are being honest with ourselves, we all have faults about us.  We all have qualities that rub others the wrong way.  In which case, we do not have any right to talk about the negative traits of other people.  I want to relate it to the outlook a person has on life.  Everyone has heard the terms pessimism, realism—pessimism in disguise, and optimism.  Pessimists and realists tend to focus on the negatives and the what-if's of life.  When someone is constantly seeing the negative, he will feel that way.  Optimists simply look at the great things happening in life, and that is where they place their focus.  Therefore, they tend to be happier, more positive people.  Choose to focus on the positives in others.  Look at them through God's eyes and find value in everyone.  Your conscious efforts to see the good in, and to speak well of everyone will produce a habit, and it will eventually become second nature.