Pickles and War Stories

Last week our church planned neighborhood football watching parties for the Cowboys kickoff. We had a spontaneous move of locations to a back club house in in our neighborhood because our friends couldn't host because of a sick child. When I called the HOA to see if we could move it to the club house they said the condition was that we invite the whole community to it. No problem! This was an unexpected opportunity to potentially see many more people come.

I was dreaming big and praying for courage to invite a room full of strangers to Guest Sunday and the Bridge Course next Thursday. I was nervous with that familiar feeling when I have no idea who will show up, how the conversations will go, and when I know God is asking me to be social and extroverted when I really just want to be alone on my couch—and not a smiley preacher.

God had different plans.

Maybe it was the last minute email that went out or the location. Maybe nobody likes that particular clubhouse. Maybe it’s that the TV isn’t HD. Maybe nobody likes the Cowboys in my neighborhood. But my idea of having a bunch of guests turned into having one guest.

One guy.

One dude with a plate full of pickles and cheese.

I felt a strange mixture of disappointment and relief at the same time—and a pinch of guilt about both.

So there we were—the Tombrellas, the Dickersons, and a 67 year old man sharing a feast while the game echoed in the near empty clubhouse.

But I learned last night that God was answering my prayer in a very different way. As we got to know him we learned that he had a story to tell—many actually.

He told us how he was shot down twice in countries denied by most history books—surviving when other soldiers died. He crash landed once after enemy fire. He knew General Chuck Yeager (of the movie The Right Stuff) on a first name basis because he was his flight engineer. He almost died in Nicaragua when a mig had missile lock on him. He told me other tragedies he experienced in war I’ve never personally heard from a veteran.

I mostly listened. Nodding my head and saying the kind of things one says when you have almost no reference point.

“Wow.”

“Amazing.”

“Really?”

“hmmm.”

Around the third quarter he began to talk about religion. I held back a nervous smile because I found it comical. Up until this time my evangelism skills consisted of watching football, eating cheese, commenting on the Cowboys, and listening to war stories. As a complete stranger he told me his opinions on the matter unprovoked…

“I believe in God…I believe in a higher power…I mean..no one-no one has the right to tell another person who he is…”

“the Bible is just a book about man….man wrote it. God didn’t write the Bible.”

“I mean…why do you have to pray to Jesus…what is that all about? I know God my way…and you can know God your way…and that’s that..”

“I don’t believe in hell…I’ve been to hell…this is hell now…”

It was getting intense. It was one of those moments I wish I wasn’t a pastor. I was feeling a bit like Undercover Boss at the reveal if he asks me what I “do.”

In times like these I’ve found the best thing to do is not argue for the validity of Scripture or some apologetic point, or some doctrine—but just talk about the person of Jesus. So I did.

I shared that I was a Christian and how the gospels talk about Jesus…and that he is the one who says he’s the only way to know God and sends us out to tell the world.  I honestly don’t think I did a great job—but I was aware of God’s help—and how he was giving me courage and strength.

The courage for strength to invite a room full of people to church and the Bridge Course turned into courage to talk to one person about the Bridge Course.

“I think your perspective would be really valuable at this class I’d like you to consider coming. We don’t have any combat veterans.”

“I will think about it. I don’t have any problem telling people what I think…so long as they know where I’m coming from.”

I walked to my car with the seeds of gratitude that God allowed me the opportunity to share his love with a man he created in his image, and protected and pursued in grace throughout his fascinating life—even though it wasn’t what I had planned.

I was also thankful the Cowboys won…

This Halloween Serve your Neighborhood...

If you haven't already planned something for Halloween think about this weekend as an opportunity to get to know your neighbors and serve your community by resisting the isolationism of suburbia.

Tom Stack, a friend from church recently stepped out of the comfort-zone and served his neighborhood in a mission-minded way. Here's his story...

"Our family has lived on this block for 8 years (come February), and we have been really bad about getting to really know anyone on the street. We "know" the folks on either side of us and across the street, but that's about it (and not very well at that). We just thought that there are others on the block like us, we need to fix that and get to better know who's on our street. And with the weather as nice as it's been, it was just the right thing to do.

So we printed out a little flyer that we handed out, door-to-door, talking to each of our neighbors, and inviting them all to join us out in front of our house last evening. We said, "we'll bring the dogs, you bring your appetite."

We had a number that brought cookies, homemade crab cakes, a plate of nachos (covered in been and cheese), a platter of sushi, and some corn on the cob to throw on the grill. We were out there from 6 to around 8:30. Everyone was standing around, talking, eating, and I think really enjoying the chance to meet for the first time or reconnect with their neighbors. My wife and I both were surprised to overhear so many introduce themselves to neighbors they've never met. (our subdivision has all the garages in the back, on an alley, and that makes a difference).

But we found out that one family has a daughter in 4th grade at the same school as our kids! The wife is a believer, but the husband, a great guy, is not. I had a chance to chat a lot with him last night - about where we grew up, what work we do, their decision to homeschool, etc. Also found out that two families (one was not able to make the gathering) on the block both attend a large Chinese church here in Plano. One of the couples is our next-door neighbor (I did not know they were believers). Sylvia had a good opportunity to speak with the wife, and found out that they were Christians, and are very curious to talk to Sylvia more about homeschooling (they have two little ones under 6).

All this to say we had a long overdue chance to reach out and make connections with our neighbors - and just be good neighbors. Showing them care and kindness, and an interest in them and their families. If the Lord leads us to openings to share Him and His Gospel with any of them as we build relationships with these neighbors, great! We'll take it! Hopefully, as the old song said, "they will see we are Christians by our love," and we'll stand out as a light, and as friends upon whom they can depend."