a couple of weeks ago i found myself sitting by the snack bar of a wal-mart pitching a job shadowing proposal to mr. sampson, the store's elderly and kind community involvement coordinator. as i spoke mr. sampson occasionally took a note with an old fashioned fountain pen and he sometimes parried by sharing stories of teens who have job shadowed in the past.
after i doubled down on my pitch by soliciting mr. sampson's support for a significant grant proposal i had submitted some weeks hence, mr. sampson set down his pen, looked me in the eye and said: "i hope you'll forgive me if i'm speaking out of turn, but it seems to me that you are in ministry." i was a little taken aback by his statement, since i rarely, if ever, have reason or occasion to discuss my faith in the context of a cold call. however, since mr. sampson brought the subject up i confessed to him that i am also a minister at a local church and i consider my work with rectangle to be an expression of my personal commitment to build all things up into the head who is Christ. after outting myself i asked mr. sampson what inspired his observation and he said that he had a son who is a minister in lynn and "i can just tell."
it is just as likely that our conversation was inspired more by coincidence than by the Source. but, in my life anyway, it is often coincidences like this, when combined with faith, that shed the light required to continue upon this way.
8 comments:
In the right circumstance, having your cover blown can be a good thing. It could be a gentle nudge from headquarters.
i bet it was your use of the King James English (not that sinful NIV talk) that gave you away.
indeed mike. when i asked him near the ending of the meeting if he knew where i could pisseth against a wall he probably had me dead to rights.
"I can just tell" = "You all look alike."
Go to some really "hip" metrosexu.....er.....Christian convention and you'll know what I'm talking about.
scott, i hate to break it to you, but your anti-supernatural bias is showing. all real christians realize that my identity was revealed to mr. sampson by his guardian angel.
moreover, your implicit naturalistic explanation - that he correctly identified me on account of my metrosexuality - is clearly flawed. although i do have one pair of cool shoes i am in no sense a creative arts pastor. thus, my masculinity and misogyny should not be questioned.
Come on, now, don't kick the Creative Arts guys around...remember your friend in OH.
Might I suggest next time, in order to conceal your identity (not that it's your goal), put glasses on, and they'll never know. It works for Clark Kent.
Kevin Smith Clark
i gots nothing but love for you lunchbox. nothing but love.
"With rectangle" ... LOL! Perfect.
Great entry, by the way. :)
Post a Comment