On The Way to the Gate Beautiful

We were actually on our way to pick up a friend at the home of Graham Power.
It was a long, dark 45 minute drive in the pouring down rain to bring our friend back to stay with us in Cape Town for a few days before his return to Minnesota.

As I write I remember a few weeks before when we were on the road in the dark and rain on our way to Durbanville to dinner with family. There was unusually heavy traffic for so early in the evening. We approached what might have been the cause, seemed to be a fender bender with a lot of cars pulled to the side of the road but they hadn't really gotten out of the road! Just when we were wondering why and getting irritated by it we saw him, a human being lying still in the road. There wasn't room to pull over, so many people alaready had and were on their cell phones but no one was near the man. He wasn't moving. The shell of what was left of a human being lay lifeless on the road. Others looked as if they had done what they could and were waiting for the ambulance and police to arrive.

We were disturbed to say the least. An emptiness that would not easily be shaken seemed determined to now rob us of the joy of a family dinner out. The reality of the cold hard facts there on the road. We weren't so shallow. Our hearts wept for this man. Did he have family? Who would mourn his death? Who had hoped and prayed for him all his life? Where had he been going before being run over by a car or before he collapsed in the road? We prayed for him and for them- his family, wherever they were.

Back to picking up our friend, in my mind flashed pictures of the dead man on the side of the road. Our friend had accompanied some others to our town with some very different purposes. It seemed odd to us that he would come to our city to do stuff that we were already doing. It was a bit awkward, weren't we doing the job well enough? Then why wouldn't he want to do those same things with us? Well, as only humans can, lots of stuff clogged up the path of our relationship. It was this little thing called communication that muddied the waters. Long story short our friend hadn't known the agenda or details of the trip he was making to our city and didn't ever call or let us know the particulars. We were feeling hurt and abandoned. So, as we went to pick up our friend that night I was feeling a little bit like the man left on the road. When our friend didn't communicate with us we felt a bit removed from family. I used to wonder when someone said so and so was a first cousin once removed if that meant you were kicked out or overlooked, rejected from the family for a bit and then returned. You know what I mean? No, we weren't dead but I assure you the raw feelings inside of us were killing off years of love and relationship we thought we'd established and built with our friend Mike.

We pulled into the driveway of a home called, God Willing. God willing what? We didn't know. With our cell phones and wallets left in the car, we walked in to help our friend carry out his luggage so we could transport him to our home now that the Transformation Africa people were through with him for the twelve days they'd had him over to pray for Africa. Now it was okay for us to approach and pick him up so we could spend time with him. Hmmmph! I know they didn't mean it that way, but it so felt that way.

We'd left family and virtually everything behind to move to South Africa to establish relationships with God's people. Believing God had called us to get involved in their lives and pray for their country. And here these people were importing others to come and pray. Were we not good enough to do that? Why did our friend Mike qualify to come for a week or more when we had given our lives for the people here? Mike and his wife believed, as did we, what was said to the Thessalonians: "we loved you so much we decided to spend the rest of our lives with you." We certainly didn't know and were aghast to think that Mike wouldn't even tell those who invited him that we existed. It wasn't about titles, positions or recognition. For us it was about relationship. Didn't we have one with Mike? And if we were invited to Minnesota we certainly would recognize that God had called Mike and his family there. So we would phone them, explain and say, what do you think God is doing and saying? How can we do this together? But Mike didn't. So we were hurt, disappointed and felt very jilted. Could we have eventually ended up like the man on the road?

Perhaps that man had died being run over by a car. Perhaps he had died all alone, having been rejected and kicked out of family or perhaps not. Perhaps he had been on his way to the nearest store for a bottle of milk for the baby, we will never know. But one vital thing: someone cares! God cares! And so do we! And our friend Mike cared! We wished he'd figured it out the first time but well, if we really are committed to this thing called relationship it means we have to get real with one another. We need to go to great lengths to see about each other, be sensitive to one another and approach one another in love!

Paul writes to the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 13: And now I will teach you the most excellent way. If I speak in the tongues of men and of the angels but have not love I am only a resounding gong, a clanging cymbal.... If I give all I possess to the poor but have not love it profits me nothing!

I love that first part, the most excellent way! We need to apply it! Are you easily angered? Are you rude? Proud? Judgmental, bitter, unforgiving? How about this one? Do you keep a record of wrongs?

Can we pull over here for a little roadside service? We may need to ask Jesus to look under the hood a little while, perhaps we, too, might need to take a long, hard look ourselves? There is a part 2. Till then...