2:49pm...Saturday...4 Aug '12
As the gears of time in all our lives grind on, twice, in the past 24 hours I've been reminded just how "small" our world is. At the same time, it's hard to fathom just how big our world is.
If that all seems a bit contradictory, read on...
This past April, at the Q Conference in Washington DC, one of the energetic young leaders who showed up at our table entered into a lively dialogue with regard to mentoring when he found out I was a leadership mentor. Names and emails were exchanged, a couple of brief email encounters ensued, with him saying after some busy end of school year activities, and summer travel was done, he would connect.
He did, this week...as in yesterday.
Long story short...Garrett and I, surprisingly, have mutual friends...even at this distance. Chris, a dynamic young leader from here in CO moved with his family to VA...and they have become significantly involved in caring for the homeless.
Yesterday Garrett stated that he has a real passion and calling for working with university students (especially frat men) and with the homeless in his university town (quite a combination...). I asked him if he knew Chris and his family...and, wildly, the answer was, "Yes! how do you know them?" Fun...and just a bit crazy...as Chris and I made plans to having continuing mentoring conversations in the near future...via Skype.
Then, in response to the earlier blog post from today concerning a golf outing for our nephew who arrives tomorrow, I heard from another good man, with whom significant memories abound. He, too, uniquely cares for people up in the NW corner of our Denver metroplex...influencing all the rest of us to care for our neighbors, right where we live.
Dave (now 38...), I've known since he was in his early teens. Two+ decades ago I spent quality time with his Dad and Mom as they navigated some significent changes in their own personal lives and life-work. It's been a blessed part of my journey to do the same with Dave. He said this in a return email:
Also, like you, I am now part of the weird book world. Thanks again for all of your counsel along the way. The season that I spent with you was crucial to me discovering what God wants me to do with my time and talents!
Dave, with a good friend, has written a book we would all do well to read and practice. The Art of Neighboring: Building Genuine Relationships Right Outside Your Door is compelling, practical and oh so necessary in our world today. I hope you will read Dave's book and live out it's principles in your own town.
So...as this Saturday begins to wind down to some quiet time here at home (...if watching the Olympics can be quiet, he types while laughing...), I am grateful for these two points of connection with two good men, and other friends. Continuously amazed and deeply grateful am I for the sacred and creative privilege of encouraging some remarkable men and women forward in their lives.
Blessed to the max, am I, as I choose to live life to the max!
...............and a big PS to some who may read this...............
In keeping up with some of you good people, but...due to my Spring and Summer schedule, planned happenings and some unexpected experiences, and your own changing schedules, we may have lost some traction in our mentoring moments. Sincerely, let's connect and get going again. I will welcome hearing from you.......soon...as we live life forward, together.
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