Life isn’t fair.
An overwhelming amount of traumatic events in my life and in the lives of my loved ones for me to believe life is fair.
An overwhelming amount of blessings and goodness overflow from life on an hour to hour basis.
Life isn’t fair.
How can one feel simultaneously more cheated and more blessed than anyone? Maybe it’s just ego.
Earlier this evening – yet another major blessing – came my way. Hervé Fleurant asked me if I would deliver a 10-minute message to the married men at the Wednesday Church service. I was excited and overjoyed. Within five minutes, the message was ready in my head. Considering a few of the skills I have developed with creating and delivering content, I decided to create a three-page handout so the guys could easily access the 17 passages I would reference. Once Hervé saw my diligence, he empowered me to use an additional 10 minutes.
To outsiders, this may seem like just another speech. For it was different. This group of men are NEXT LEVEL spiritual giants. When I consider the men on the call – Steve Schmidt, Larry Anthis, Angel Alarcon, Juan Aguilar, Sunil Punjabi, Michael Sandoval, Kerry Niester, Babu Seshagiri, Roy Taliaferro, and of course Hervé himself – I think: “Who am I?” These guys have led churches and regions; they’ve been appointed evangelists, deacons, and even an elder. They’ve adopted children; they’ve baptized their family members; they serve perpetually. If I never have the opportunity to speak to these men again, I would not be disappointed. I could listen and learn from them for the rest of my life, be forever in the learner’s seat and not the teacher’s seat.
When we were finishing our time together, Hervé asked if Juan would say a prayer to close our time. Juan prayed for me and about me in a way I don’t ever remember being prayed for before. It was beautiful. I’m getting tears in my eyes reflecting on his words. It wasn’t an eloquent quote as much as it was the spirit in which he prayed. He was like a village elder, a spokesman. He thanked his God for me being a part of the village. He prayed about my efforts to make an impact. He prayed like an overseer who has watched me grow up in this church environment. He prayed thanking God for me.
Moments earlier, Hervé explained why he’s confident asking me to speak in a setting like this. It was endearing and a bit humorous. He explained that I ask repeatedly for opportunities to speak and share. Many times, he has denied my efforts to speak. He said the way I carry myself when I am not given what I want helps him know I have the character to speak during other settings. That’s refreshing.
At times, I have shared that my life is like a fairytale. No hype (“no cap” for the younger generation).
If you are still with me, let me encourage you. Be persistent with your dreams. Be persistent with your attitude and character. Be persistently good when times are glorious. Be persistently good when times are burdensome. You never know who is watching and may open up doors for you down the road.