As I get older, the world gets smaller, & God seems like He's getting more creative.
I know that He's constant and I'm not, but I'm just sayin'...
Bear with this one... it's a little long, but it's got a fun ending.
All of this Storyline and Love Does stuff has started a trend of saying "yes" to virtually anything that means I'll meet new people from God's larger Story.
So last week when a friend from work said, "Hey - you should talk to my friend from church about this new church he wants to start in Milwaukee", I said "Sure - why not?" (I could have easily responded "no thanks - don't see the purpose" and just left it at that.)
We had some fun Facebook Messaging banter and set up a time for the two of us to yap about this church he wants to start in 2014 or 2015. I flippantly said something about looking at my pottery page (not even sure why I brought it up).
Being the polite guy that I am, I forgot we were supposed to talk and his call rolled to voicemail. I was distracted when I picked up the voicemail, but I thought I heard him say something about how he looked at my pottery and that he and his wife have one of my pieces.
(I thought... "this dude must be quite the salesman - there's no way he's got a piece of mine - I really haven't sold that much work - the odds are smaaaall - lying about owning pottery to raise money for a church? niiiiiice...")
When he called back later I recognized the number and picked up. We yapped about the church, set up a time to have lunch, and, just before hanging up, he indicated again that he had one of my pieces. I pretty much called him a liar.
After several crazy turns in the conversation, we figured out that I had briefly worked with his now Mother-In-Law over 7 years ago and that she had purchased the piece from me at that time and given it to her daughter and new Son-In-Law as a wedding present.
Whoa. Crazy small world.
(I told him I didn't think he was a liar anymore)
If the story stopped there, it would be a cool connection.
But it became clear that the pot's current owner hadn't read the pot for quite some time. (if ever... you almost need a decoder ring to figure out what it says)
Just so happens I wrote a blog about that piece back in 2005 that shared what it says.
(you should probably read it real quick)
In short, the contents of the piece hit the couple straight in the heart as they contemplate moving a family of 5 to an urban environment away from home to start a church that intends to reach out to the socio-economic extremes.
7 years I ago, I was transitioning from consulting to a new job.
I didn't know what it was yet, and I was scared.
I was confident that God was there, but I was still wettin' myself.
So I made a piece of pottery to process my feelings and state my heart's desire.
I didn't make it for someone else, I made it for me.
The fact that I got paid for it and someone gave it as a gift was just a bonus prize.
The receiver probably thought it was a "unique" (spoken in Minnesota nice) gift.
7 years later it's a gift that God is using to speak His love into 2 folks that need it.
Validating that their decision to step out in faith is the right one.
I still don't know why I'm talking to this guy about a church in Milwaukee.
But I'm glad I said yes.
Quite the coinkeedink.
Unless you believe in an extremely creative God.
A God that loves you and wants you to experience your Heart's desires.
I have a feeling he's going to write a killer story. pba.
