redemption power

Jesus is ridiculous.  He is, I'm sorry, but this is just insane.  The redeeming power of Christ is greater than ANYTHING.  Allow me to tell you a story of a relationship I've had with a woman in our neighborhood...we'll call her Mrs. Jones.  Single black woman, who adopted her grandson, who works at the local Elementary school.  She knows everyone, everyone knows her.  

ACT 1. May '09.

On one of my volunteering days at the elementary school, I entered to find all the volunteer tags were in use, so the secretaries, knowing me, said, just go ahead.  So I went up to the classroom and there was an assembly, so I began to walk the students down with their teacher who needed to step away so she asked me to take the kids down alone.  So we walked downstairs and I met Mrs. Jones.  "Who are you?  Where's your nametag?  I've never seen you before?  Are you supposed to be here?"  Now, I had all kinds of clever responses, especially since I had never seen her before either, but I bit my tongue, gave my answers and went on my way.  

ACT 2.  Sept '09.

Mandy and I were at the home of a Somali family we had connected with through Bridgetown Ministries, and I was out front while Mandy was inside talking with the mom, I was keeping their youngest two entertained.  Mrs. Jones lives 5 apartments down and went on a walk past the house, seeing me in the doorway, she says, "What are you doing here?  Are you bothering my friends?  Do I know you?"  Again, this time feeling more and more clever responses rising to the tip of my tongue, I answered them, she said, 'Uh huh'...and continued on her walk, and I hurried Mandy along so I could get away from this lady.

ACT 3.  Oct '09.

I work late in New Columbia, so I am the only grounds/maintenance guy there after dark.  And since there are lots of lights on this 82-acre property, I had to drive around one night after dark in one of our little carts and check to see if all the lights were working.  And here comes Mrs. Jones...not wanting to deal with anything I diverted eye contact.  "Who are you, the new New Columbia police or something?"  She says to me.  ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!  I'm wearing the maintenance uniform?!  I know its dark, but COME ON!  Instead, I say, no, I'm on maintenance, explain my hours, my job, defend my right to be there and she says, 'Oh, ok, I'm Mrs. Jones.'  I say, "I know, we've met a few times."  ...mistake...  "Oh, yeah?!    That's right...I've seen you."  And next with the most sassy, inquisitor look she says, "You know, you are around kids an awful lot!"  WHAT...ARE YOU...SERIOUSLY... I couldn't take it, youv'e got to be kidding me, are you really insinuating?!  So I say, "Nice of you to assume the worst in a person."  "You've got to earn it honey."  She says.  Oh, I had a great litany of things to say, but went about my work, while she attempted to continue our conversation...I informed her I was a new pastor in the area to which she says, 'Doesn't mean anything.'  And now with much joy, I continued to finish out my night...

ACT 4. Feb '10.  

As I walked past Mrs. Jones place, she started to get out of her car and rather than being a jerk and ignoring the eye contact, I asked her how she was doing.  I wasn't quite ready for her response.  She began to vomit up her struggle with a neighbor and his distaste for the loudness at which the non-white kids played on the public playground in front of his home.  Not a lady to bite her tongue, at least in my experience, she began to go rounds with him.  I listened, stood quietly, told her then how unfair it was, how frustrating that must of been for her, I encouraged her sticking up for herself, her son, and what was right.  And for the first time, I left an interaction with her without smarthy comments whirling around in my head.

ACT 5. March '10

His name was Ernest...convicted felon, got fired from a job he had had for months because they decided to run his background check, and the past they didn't know was more powerful than the present they had come to know.  We chatted and I prayed with him and as we said Amen we hear...'I want in!'  Up walks Mrs. Jones.  A bit suprised, I ask her whats going on and she shares about her day.  She is on her way to court for her daughter who was in a bit of trouble.  I blogged about this before here, but the long and short of it is that I went back to her place later in the day and her daughter had received a much lighter sentence, and Mrs. Jones was SO grateful...even praising God for it.  Have I told you she's told me she's a buddhist?

ACT 6. April '10

"Good morning Mrs. Jones."  I say as I walk past her place.  "Lemme ask you something. You're a pastor, right?" Yup.  "You have like services and stuff?"  Yup  "So you can do like weddings and stuff?"  Yup  "So you are ordained?"  No, I'm licensed, but on my way to ordination.  "You do work with gangs?"  Not at this point, why?  "Well, my son," who was now standing next to her, "got jumped in last week.  And I told them boys to leave him alone that he wasn't going to do anything like that."  We chatted a bit more about that when she said, "Well, I'm just looking for some men in the neighborhood who have their heads on straight and who I can trust to help my son out.  So you keep that in the back of your head."  

Jesus, You are RIDICULOUS!!!  We continued chatting and I chatted with her son about playing catch sometime and both his eyes and her eyes lit up at that possibility.  Craziness.  Absolute craziness...

Needless to say, I'm looking forward to the continuation of this story....