My husband just returned from NAPTE, the leading global television industry conference held this year in Miami, at the famous Fontainebleau hotel in the heart of South Beach, where he went to distribute a feature film for his company about the Holocaust. He called me from the conference a few times to share some funny stories.
First, he got a chuckle out of the show promoters from China who caught on to the American way, running around the conference room floor yelling, “Happy Hour at 4:00, Happy Hour at 4:00 at our booth”! Then came an entourage from Beverly Hills throwing thousands of dollar bills in the air as they paved a double-dealing way through the crowd. A a short, edgy Asian woman in traditional Chinese dress led the way, followed by four scantily dressed, big breasted show girls, a tall, handsome African American man, a slick guy that looked like a rock promoter, and a shorter Italian man — my husband wasn’t sure if he was the producer, or from the mafia, or both – wearing a fedora hat and three piece suit with a handkerchief peaking from his chest pocket.
Catching my husband’s eye, the handsome African American stopped to talk. As they chatted, my husband turned the conversation toward God, his most preferred topic of conversation. Yet, overhearing such a pious conversation amidst the profane backdrop, the Asian woman lured the young man away, snakes slithering out of her pupils. The young man still captivated, clung to my husband, “Man, I need to talk to you more”, he said, as he was dragged away handing my husband his card.
I thought about Jesus and the a group of his unlikely followers in the Gospel of Mark from The Message translation:
“Later Jesus and his disciples were at home having supper with a collection of disreputable guests. Unlikely as it seems, more than a few of them had become followers. The religion scholars and Pharisees saw him keeping this kind of company and lit into his disciples: “What kind of example is this, acting cozy with the riffraff?”
Jesus, overhearing, shot back, “Who needs a doctor: the healthy or the sick? I’m here inviting the sin-sick, not the spiritually-fit.”
I thought about the convention as a microcosm of the world, too often a carnival of promotion, spinning with greed, glamour, hype and hope toward a reckless road of wrong pursuits. I thought about how as God lovers, we go out into the thick of the world in our suits and ties, heals and pearls, or with babies on our hips, as lamp holders on a dusty hill lighting the way through the narrow gate for those with ears to hear and eyes to see. Sometimes we simply plant a seed of love in empty hearts, or speak a simple, subversive truth, a sweet kernel of Godly wisdom that pops hope in the ache of a yearning soul.
Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you. – Ephesians 5:1
Some, sitting in limousines with cash-thick wallets and sipping champagne with schemes and big dreams, need us – real bad.
Just like maybe, at one time, we needed that lamp holder, who, shepherded by grace, entered into our lives, shining God’s light on our dark-spotted souls, leading us toward a radically new life.
And so each of us enter the narrow gate into the beloved kingdom of God, a new and promised land of love, peace, and freedom from such desperate pursuits. This kingdom is casting central, filled with an unlikely cast of characters from Beverly Hills, to China, to the streets of New York, both the good fellas, and the bad, we’re all there — for Jesus came for the lost.
Later during the week at the conference, at 7a.m. My husband heads down to the poolside, surrounded by the big buck cabanas purchased by the TV studio honchos, for morning coffee and some fruit. T.J Jakes, one of the leading megachurch pastors in the United States, catches my husband’s eye – my husband often mistaken for Dustin Hoffman, Sean Penn, or an older version of Matthew McConaughey. T.J. calls out to my husband, ‘Hey, I know you, I know you’. The TV executive bystanders joke — “it’s because he looks like a movie star”. “No, No”, Mr. Jakes says, “it’s not that, I know you.”
We reflect later. I tell my husband, “It’s the lamp he recognized”, the light, God’s great spotlight that shined through the darkness at NAPTE.
In the same way, let your light shine before others. – Matthew 5:16
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YES! Yes! This is such a special story and power stands beside your husband. It is the light not hidden under a basket. He is not ashamed of the Gospel. He knows that God is with him. I love these moments.
Thank you Linda! He’s blessed in that it’s so natural for him to share God’s love with others..he has the gift of gab, too..!! He always shares such fun stories of these kind of happenstance meetings!
So did T. J. Jakes really know your husband? 🙂 What great insight into what lures us in this world. It sounds like your husband had a great opportunity to be a light for Jesus. A good reminder for us all to keep our priorities in order.
Thanks so much for visiting–No, he didn’t know T.J. Jakes..there was just a familiarity feeling. I think my husband has a special knack for being in these situations, and loves God..believe God uses each of us according to our special gifts.
Thanks for sharing about your husbands adventures in South Beach. I love how God works and people are drawn to the light that shines within us. What wonderful stories and God moments you both must have as you simply go about living your life and being obedient to speak truth to whomever God places in front of you. So awesome! stopping by from #testimonytuesday
thanks Debbie for coming by! I know each of us have our stories of God working through us in our everyday lives, and puts us in just the right situations according to our gifts and personality!
Hi my friend….great blog!!! I always say…”It’s not about the ‘what’ of our day….but it’s iabout the ‘who’ of our day! I love the “narrow gate” comment. A Messianic Jewish rabbi
wrote that the narrow gate into the city was the gate that anyone with debts entered through. It was there that the tax collectors sat to make sure that what was “owed” was “reconciled”.
What a beautiful picture of our “Jeshua HaMachiach”…Jesus our Messiah. We enter God’s Kingdom (city) through Him. He paid our debts which allowed us o “go through into the city”! It’s there that we experience God’s “Shalom”. Peace with God and peace with our fellow mankind. I’m so grateful for His love!
Rebecca! I always love your Hebrew/historical perspectives! They’re so rich! What a beautiful description of Jeshua HaMachiach!! What a blessing you are!
I must say with a sincere heart that the whole paragraph that begins “I thought about the convention as a microcosm of the world…” is just a stunning paragraph in its poetry and truth. I love this whole piece with its glowing message, but that paragraph is beautiful.
Thank you so much Hillary, what wonderful encouragement..I’m so glad that paragraph touched a deep place in you. So grateful for your visit and comment today!
Your storytelling is captivating, but even more so is the truth your story illuminates. What a blessing for your husband to reflect the Light when surrounded by such obvious darkness. And what joy we have to do the same in whatever stage of life we find ourselves. So glad to be visiting your from #TellHisStory today.
So happy to have you visit today Beck, and thank you for your encouraging words! I’m so grateful for your comment and coming by!