Missing the Mission Trip

Yeah, so right now I am sitting on my recliner in my living room watching some reality show about Grease, The Musical. I just got off the phone with Pastor Amilcar Martinez, my Honduran counterpart. My heart is grieving, because as I sit here in my living room, staring at my plasma tv that is mounted on the wall, that features overly feminine men singing Grease songs with perfectly tuned voices that spill through my Sony surround system...I am supposed to be sitting in Pastor Amilcar's little living room...in his little, un-airconditioned house, with the windows open so it doesn't get too hot, as one of his daughters brings me a glass of juice or soda that he bought that day, even though he really didn't have enough money too, just because he knew we would be coming over and couldn't drink his tap water.
But things happen...life happens, and at the end of the day, I am sitting in my living room because I chose to back out of the trip. "Why would you have done that?" you might be wondering...because of the son I just laid down for the night after his bath...because of the other son who is laying on the couch watching this reality show (he loves this show, American Idol, and the Food Network, and of course, anything Disney), and because of the amazing little girl who has snuggled up with me in the recliner, pushing herself right past my laptop to claim her spot at my side on a recliner that I have no problem filling up by myself. She says she wants to see what I am doing, but she isn't...she really just wants to sit next to me...and that is all the excuse she will ever need to have...
As the days before the trip ticked away, I was torn as the excitement I had about hitting the mission field and visiting the church that Freedom Life has helped start in a little mountain village of Honduras once more, slowly began to be replaced by the anxiety of the thought that I might be leaving for a week at a time when my children really need me to be there for them. The more I prayed for peace, the more anxiety I got when I thought about pushing forward with going on the trip...until finally, the only thought that gave me any peace was skipping this trip and staying here to focus on my first ministry calling...my family!
There is really only one thing that gets me more excited then leading people to Christ...and that is leading my children to Christ, and raising them in a way that they will lead more people to Christ than I ever could have imagined impacting in my life. (Sorry had to take a quick break there, the guy who made it to the next round of the show started singing, "Fools Rush In", so I stopped and sung it to Kaelin, as she attempted to sing it back to me complete with hand motions she made up) Yeah, it was the right choice!
I hear so many horror stories about kids who grew up with ministers or deacons as parents, about how there parents were so busy at church that they got left right out of the equation. And that was there first impression of God. I can't think of a greater tragedy. So anyway, things have been tough on them lately, and I am here...on my first mission field...leading three little children to Christ...not just because it's the right thing to do...but because it is what I choose to do.

A chance encounter

Yeah, so this week has been an interesting one. I took the kids to the circus on Wed. (I know I missed church, but their grandma bought tickets for us, and they were on Wed. night). About ten minutes after it started I noticed this guy walking in with a group of people following him. He was about 6' tall, sporting a jumpsuit, blue hat, and cornrows...something about his swagger drew my attention. Even though it was very dark and I couldn't really see him too well, I immediately guessed that he was a pro athlete. Then deductive reasoning kicked in...we are in Hampton, where there are no pro teams...he must be a local athlete...it is basketball season, so it couldn't be Allen Iverson, and the guy is too thick anyway...it is the off-season in football...that leaves Ronald Curry, Aaron Brooks, or one of the Vick brothers. As he walked past (we were on the third row slightly off to the right of the center ring), I saw in his silhouette that he had a goatee. That was all I needed to make my final conclusion...Michael Vick.

I knew what he looked like for two reasons...one, he is one of Eli's favorite players (Eli has been know to sport his little Vick Jersey on game day and sprint around the couches), and because several years ago, just weeks before his professional career started with the Falcons, my wife almost ran him over, and I got a very close look at him. That is another story, but here is the Readers Digest version...he and all his buddies are hanging out at his mom's old house, just off of Harpersville in Newport News. They are hanging in her driveway, not really paying attention to the fact that they have drifted into the road. Guess they assume that the cars can go around...well, my wife decides she is not going to go around, but show these guys, whoever they are, that they shouldn't hang out in the street. At the last second, when he realizes she isn't swerving, he leaps out of the way shouting, as the car misses him by inches. Then I say, "ohhmmmyyygossshhh Jessi, you just almost ran over Michael Vick!" To which she replies, "Who is Michael Vick?" not realizing that she almost just hit a $60,000,000 man to prove a point.

So anyway, back to the circus...he ends up sitting two sections to the left of us and when the lights come up my guess is confirmed. He has this hoodie on though, and he keeps it up over his head most of the time...he has a little girl with him, so I guess that is probably his daughter and he is trying to maintain a low profile. So, the debate starts..."Elias is here, and it would be awesome to get a picture of him with Michael Vick, his favorite football player....Michael Vick is here, low profile, holding his daughter and watching the circus....to ask or not to ask, that is the question.

By intermission, my football fan side has overruled my "considerate of others" side and I ask Eli if he wants to go ask Michael Vick for a picture. Of course he says yes, so there we go, hand in hand, approaching a guy I haven't seen in person since my wife almost ran him over 5 years ago. As I walk up I start to get uncomfortable, as he is holding his daughter in his lap and having family time. I almost chicken out but Eli nudges me forward. So I ask, "Hey there Mr. Vick, I know you are just trying to have a good time, but you are my son's favorite player. If it isn't too much trouble would you mind letting me snap a picture of you two. He smiles and kinds shakes his head no, then replies, "Hey man, I'm just chilling right now", then he looks down at Eli and smiles and then says, "tell you what, catch me on the way out, alright." I shake my head with a nod of appreciation and take Eli back to our seats.

I spent the second half of the circus feeling like a jerk that had bothered some guy that was just trying to have a good time with his kids. I guess I just felt like if it was me, it wouldn't bother me, and therefor, it shouldn't bother him ;)

After the circus I debated about whether or not I should just avoid him and leave him be. But as he was leaving (with his entire entourage), he saw me and slowed down. I gave him a "thumbs up/ thumbs down" sign and he gave me a big smile and nodded his head. He walked up to Elias and introduced himself and then he took a picture with us. When it was over he patted Eli on the head and I thanked him, saying, "Mr. Vick, I really appreciate you taking the time for my boy. It means a lot to me." He smiled and said, "Ah man, it's cool. No problem." I wished him a healthy season and we left.

As we were leaving I saw him getting into an old beat up Jeep with his daughter and a woman that I am assuming is his wife (this guy just signed a 10 yr $130M contract with a $37M signing bonus, making him the highest paid player in NFL history!). He had the hoody pulled up still and was doing a very good job of not being noticed. That is when I realized just how much time he actually spent trying to have a normal night out with his family. My first thought was that I ruined in, but my second thought was that this guy really did something nice for my son. He was trying to be so secretive, but was willing to stop and take a picture with a kid! That said a lot to me! I started thinking through this and found myself really respecting him more and more. He has been in the news a lot lately, but unfortunately, this little story won't make the news...the burdens and blessings of being famous I guess.

Which started me thinking about our society, and media, and how everything you hear about is always bad. This is why I don't even watch the news...ever. People are always surprised that I haven't heard about some crazy world altering situation that everyone else is talking about. I guess my thing is that the world is going to be the world. It is fallen, it is sinful, and it is going to get worse. I don't have to give ratings to a show that is going to continue to focus on the worse parts of humanity. Really, I think the news and media even promote things like racism. For example, if you were watching the news and were to hear that a story was about to come on about something that happened at 9pm that involved a 25 yr old black man with a sweatsuit, hoody, and a platinum chain , what would be your first thought? Would it be that the story was about a man who stopped and made a 4-year-old's day? How he patted the little boy on the head and took a picture with him when he had every reason not to? Probably not.

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things. Phil. 4:8

P.S. I didn't post the picture because the little girl who I assumed was Michael Vick's daughter was also in it, and I would never put a picture of someone else's kid on the Internet without their permission.