(3 minute read)  Andy was having lunch with his dear friend Ron. They were bringing up people that have left an impression upon them. Ron recalled a young man Tim. Tim’s parents brought him to Ron in the hopes that a positive influence would help him. You see, Tim was a druggie and was under the influence more than he was not. Tim’s parents wanted Tim to be like a normal person; finish his education, get a good job, someday marry and have children, you know, a normal life.

Ron found Tim to be a delightful young man; had a smile that was very charismatic. When he spoke, he caught your attention pretty easily. Tim shared that he did not see anything wrong with his lifestyle, and Ron impressed upon him that the Lord has other plans for him that would impact others, rather than live a life solely focused on one’s self.

Ron was a bit disappointed as Tim, feeling highly pressured by his parents to conform, left town on a hitch hiking expedition.

Whenever Ron would ask about Tim, his parents would say something like, “last time we heard, Tim was in Thailand.” The next time it would be, “Last time we heard, Tim was in Spain.” Tim was truly trolling the globe.

Three years had passed, and Ron heard that Tim was home visiting his parents. Ron wasted no time and he immediately called and asked if Tim would meet him for lunch.

When Ron saw Tim walk through the restaurant doors, he knew something was different about him. Something you cannot explain in words. It was the radiance coming from his eyes, face and smile. He was even much more charismatic than Ron had remembered.

As soon as Tim sat down, Ron excitedly asked, “What’s different about you? I can see it in your face but cannot put my finger on it.”

Tim’s laughter caused almost every single person in the restaurant to stop what they were doing and look in the direction of that laughter. It is as if, each single individual wanted to say;

“I       want        to     laugh           like           this.”

Tim’s answer was simple, “I found the Lord.”

Ron’s gut response was, “So you are settled down and all? Like with a job and maybe starting a family?”

Tim’s infectious, kind and loving smile already answered Ron, but Tim went on to explain;

It is amazing how people always think that a ‘normal life’ is what has been and probably always will be prescribed by society everywhere you go. No, I am still trolling the globe, me and my Creator. I have conversations with the Maker; like true conversations man.

As I travel and meet people, somehow they drop their defenses, maybe because of the style of life that I carry, and may be for some other reason, I do not know. All I know is that they are just themselves, no pretenses, and no walls erected. We talk about the Creator, Lord and Maker. When they leave, it seems to me that they will look more into finding the Lord and learning more. But I never know if they do or do not, as my function is to just plant the seed, and the rest is not for me to think or worry about.

Ron feeling empathy for Tim asked, “Does it get lonely although you are always surrounded by people?” Yes, was the answer but Tim added, “All I need to say is ‘Hey Lord’ and we carry our conversation from where we last left it off.”  🙂