HT: Ox Herding

HT: Meg

HT: Greg via PreacherMike

Wade is taking the LEED course because “it jives with [his] hippy sensibilities” amongst other reasons.

Courtney organized a Set-Setal event in her neighbourhood of Dakar. Courtney seems like the sort of person I would like to meet. On Africa’s west coast, she is striving to impact her community.

Students meet the needs of an inner-city neighbourhood through a program called SWITCH. A similar program with students, mentors and a host of volunteers is soon to start here. I don’t know what it will look like but you should stop by sometime.

On only two occasions have I been urged by the most overwhelming gut-feeling to pick up a hitchhiker. This is the story of the second. It was not the safest option, or maybe even the smartest. The female travelling alone decides to pick up the man along the side of the road. It could have ended much, much differently. Instead Wayne turned out to be one of those incredible individuals. I passed him initially, playing it safe. Of course, I was also running late for a meeting. But then I had so many thoughts come to mind. The Gideon at church who gave a Bible to the gas station attendant. My father himself picking up a hitchhiker; the man making his way to a sick family member. The call I have to intertwine good works with the Good News (and vice versa). After a lengthy internal battle, I turned around and invited a stranger in.

Wayne is of First Nations background. He was probably under-dressed for the weather. He didn’t have a bag. He told me of his friends, his travels and his children. He told me that his daughter, at 21, was trying to finish grade 11. He was so proud of her, having only a grade five education himself. He told me about the lady upstairs who helped him with things he needed to write.

And I sat there desperately wanting to hear all his thoughts on God but not knowing how to start that conversation. Of course, he started it instead. And I hear his simple story. “He lives here,” he said, fist to chest. Living in various foster homes as a child, he told me of the church couple who invested an outrageous amount of time in his life.

I’m not sure why I had to turn around and pick Wayne up. There were certainly plenty of other travellers that day: semi-drivers and men with trucks. Was it so that Wayne could get where he was going? Was it so I could learn something? Maybe hearing about Wayne’s relationship with God was enough. It was simple and basic and lacking all pretentiousness. Maybe inviting him in was enough. Maybe obedience to God’s voice was enough.

They would like you to participate. Participate in their things or participate in other things. They probably wouldn’t even mind if you borrowed the idea of their thing. That’s just the sort of folks they are.

You will want to read about these people and their things. You can even add your own things, vote for things, comment on things. These things will inspire you.

These are a few of my favourite things.

Find your own important idea.