Finding God Where You Least Expect Him

My neighbors [all brothers] are in a Tejano salsa-merengue band. They are not Christ-followers, but are truly great guys. We have a pretty surface relationship: they bring my boys candy on Halloween and Cinco de Mayo and I mow part of their yard every couple of weeks. Nice guys.

This morning 'Tony' stops me on the way to work. He's washing his little black Mercedes. We exchange 'good mornings', chat about the heat, then he asks me about my job.

"So, you work with teenagers, right? "
"Yeah."
"Are they good ones, or ones that have been in trouble?"
"Um, a little of both I guess. Why?"
"Man, I really need a cause like that in my life right now. I'm really tired of all the crap in the music business. You know, the bars and stuff. I mean, The Oasis and The Pier are cool places to play, but all the others are pretty rough..."

Back up.
Did he say he needed a cause? Talk about 'out of the blue'...

So I quickly whipped out my FAITH outline and started with the 'have-you-ever-had-a-life-changing-experience' question, pulled out my WWJD bracelet, stuffed a Four Spiritual Laws tract in his yellow Polo t-shirt pocket and.....

No, wait. That wasn't me.

Maybe it should've been. I stood there stunned, thinking, praying, "Dude. This guy knows I'm a minister. He knows where I work, what I do, and he's telling me he needs a cause in his life? Um...."

So we talked. About real things. Problems with his kids. His girlfriend. The expense of car repairs and mortgages. Then he says, "Hey, we're practicing Thursday night and cooking some BBQ outside afterwards. I wrote a couple of songs and we need another guitarist...can you come over and jam with us? Maybe hang out and eat afterwards? "

I'm there. I'd love to jam with them (I love salsa music). I definitely love to eat. I'd also love for him to know the God that has overwhelmed me with His grace. If we can find a sitter, Heather and I will go to The Oasis Sunday night and listen to them play.

Maybe I should have presented the Roman Road.

Maybe I should continue to cut his grass when he's not looking.

Or....maybe he's been looking all along and I didn't know it.