Last night was a familiar evening for me. Erinn (my roomie) and I were meeting up with some college friends of mine who I hadn’t seen in a while. We enter in to the kareoke bar & grill and our greeted by an overwhelming smell of beer, and then slapped by the sound of flat notes at the top of some girls lungs. We wonder around aimlessly through the croud like children who have lost there parents when Ceildeh call out to us. I run over to her and we hug and squeal like girls do. Brian embraces me as well, and I just ask him to say anything to me. You see Brian has the “James Earl Jones” voice, and you can’t help but listen when he talks. Finally we sit, which is seeminly impossilbe to do amoungst the croud.
We do the classic, “What have you been up to?”, to catch us up on each others lives. We reminice about old times and share some much needed laughs. Then it happened. I didn’t even see it coming.
The table next to us left and was replaced by two Asian buisiness men in their late 50’s and two prostitutes who were at the most 21. It was hard to tell through the layers of make-up their appropriate age. The uncomfortableness of the girls quickly swept my way and I was overwhelmed. Then I took some time and really looked at them. The men were extremely tired in their eyes, but longing for something in their hearts. Something that can not be found in the arms of a woman for one night. The girls were hiding beneath the make-up and overwhelming personalities. The idea of just being and having someone truly love them and want them for who they were, seemed like a lost childhood fairytale.
My heart broke.
I heard God say, “I love them.”
One of the men was only a foot away from so I turned towards him and begin to pray softly. When I opened my eyes I noticed the man starring back at me, and he smiled. This frightened me cause in no way did I want him to think that I was interested in him. I quickly turn and acted like Ceildeh had asked me a question.
As I looked around the room I realized that if Jesus was on this earth today, that this is where he would be. He would be there building relationships, talking to the prostitutes, sharing a hive five over the great slam dunk that just happened, singing “Born to be Wild”, and ordering food for the whole place.
The more I looked around I became more aware of the the bars similarity to heaven. Old, Young, Caucasians, Asians, Blacks, Hispanics, Israelies, Punk Rock, Rappers, a Tina Turner impersonator, singing so loud you can’t hear the person right next to you, dancing, and laughter.
God is begining to make more aware of my surroundings and opening up my eyes to be his eyes. As we left and said our goodbyes, I prayed once again for the table that had been next to me. I doubt my prayer changed the outcome of their evening, but I have a feeling it could change the outcome of their lives.
People, opportunities and the way God uses us in moments where we feel completely unworthy or useless is where lives are changed.
