Connecting Call

One of the good things about moving around a bit in my younger life is that I have quite a few connection points with people.

I don't know if it is my unquenchable thirst for attention or what - but I find myself wanting to re-acquaint myself with old friends or establish connection with people whose path I may have crossed at some earlier time. So if I go to some town where I once lived, my radar becomes fully operational and my eyes widen as I search for some semblance of familiarity with the people all around.

Probably about 12-15 years ago I was in a mall in Gadsden, Alabama, that's where I graduated high school. I picked out a guy across the way that had been in my graduating class. He was pushing a stroller and - I think - had another toddler in tow ... he looked tired.

I didn't re-connect with him. I have re-connected with some people and been able to re-establish our acquaintance and more times than not, I will walk across a room and start a conversation with someone if I think we have some past connection.

Last night, I got a telephone call from Leonard and Travis - a couple of friends of mine during my formative years in Gadsden. These two brothers were church acquaintances and both were older than me. I was always real impressed that Leonard (the oldest) even let me "hang out" with him, since I was barely in my teens and really not someone an older teen would want to be seen with. He was always one of those people that encouraged. After some time spent with Leonard and Travis, I usually left feeling better.

Last night, the call did not bring good news - their mother had passed away. Leonard thought my family would want to know so he found me on the Internet.

Now our families have stayed in some contact through the years but I have seen these two brothers only a very few times since I moved away in 1980. They came to my wedding almost twenty years ago and I went to their dad's funeral maybe ten years ago, but we talked very little.

What was so neat about the call was that I felt as if we re-connected almost immediately. Though I had sad news to share regarding Dad's heart attack, and they had sad news to share regarding their mother's death, our conversation was comfortable.

Sweet.

That's probably not a real masculine word, but I find it coming to mind a great deal lately.

- In attending my Dad's family reunion last month ...
- In dealing with my kids and their teachers as school recently began ...
- In dealing with my Mom and Dad and brother and sister with Dad's recent ordeal ...
- And now in these few moments of conversation with some buddies from my high school days ...

It says something about fellowship and community. I watched a sermon on-line a few moments ago from National Community Church - the speaker referenced Francis Schaeffer, as she echoed the thought that community was the "final apologetic" - the final proof to the world of Christ and the changes He establishes.
The way we treat one another in a Christian community speaks volumes about whether Christ can really make a difference.

I tell you, Christ has been the common factor of all those sweet experiences I have had lately.

When two or three are gathered - He's there - and if we pay attention He will connect with us. And in a real way - connect us to one another.

It's amazing that even in small gatherings He shows up....

What a fellowship,
What a joy divine . . .