Cups of Water and Bean Bag Beds
"I tell you the truth, anyone who gives a cup of water in my name because you belong to Christ will certainly not lose his reward."
--Mark 9:41 (NIV)
I am on vacation. I like being on vacation, not because I go on extreme adventures, cruise the Caribbean, or even fly to exotic locales; I enjoy vacations because it gives me the opportunity to visit with friends and family members that I don't get to see as often. It is what I enjoy most about those trips that I take to see my brother and his family, my grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc.
Like the majority of these trips, this one was to Louisville, Kentucky to see Steve and his family for a few days, this fact is not uncommon. What was uncommon was that for the first time, I stopped off in Nashville, Tennessee to visit with my friends, Zane and Jodi Williams.
Zane is a singer/musician/song writer. I would say he is Country/Bluegrass, but he does a variety of music. I should point out that I am not a huge fan of the aforementioned music genre, but I enjoy listening to Zane's music. I admit probably because I know him and it becomes a "Hey, listen to this friend of mine." Plus, I genuinely like Zane and Jodi so I am glad to see him find success and continued opportunities to use his talents. Jodi serves as his erstwhile #1 fan, critic, source of encouragement, road manager, etc.
I had planned to stop by for just a dinner visit, but circumstances changed and I needed to take them up on their offer for overnight lodging.
I rolled into town and, following Zane's excellent directions (complete with the "turn at the fountain with dancing naked statues" instruction) found them with little or no problem. We chatted briefly and then headed over to Judge Roy Bean's Authentic Texas Barbecue (the irony of going to Nashville to have Texas cuisine was noted). I had the BBQ Brisket Burrito ... it was excellent. Dinner conversation was minimal because the Country Music awards were on the various televisions playing throughout the restaurant and the volume level of each television was seemingly set at maximum. Newsflash: Country Music is big in Nashville!
Afterward, I received a brief tour of the city of Nashville in their veggie van (named thus because it runs on used vegetable oil). It was a busy night with the Country Music Awards going on. The police and security were out in force. Zane even had to receive important driving instructions from a policeman who apparently wanted to ensure that Zane had no plans to crash through the barricade with the wildly flashing lights. Pretty sure he wasn't planning to do so, but the officer wanted to clear it up.
We stopped briefly by Bongo Java to pick up some coffee for a friend of mine (If you have never heard of Bongo Java, you are like me, but to her, it is a religious experience of sorts. So buying a couple pounds of Bongo Java beans gets me a whole lot of friend credit!)
We made our way back to their apartment and stayed up late telling stories, laughing, catching up, etc. Their place was small and not fancy at all. I say that not as a criticism; after all, my own "deluxe apartment in the sky" is, conservatively speaking, modest. I say it to point out that they are living the life of hopeful songwriter/singer. Yet, I was struck through the evening about the ways they shared what they had with others, including me.
At one point, we talked of a friend they had made who didn't know much English. They had been a help in explaining things that were difficult for her to understand about a lot of things; they had given her a place to stay for a while; they had looked out for her.
They talked about bags of non-perishable food items they carried around with them to pass out to homeless people they might meet. Imagine carrying around such things assuming that God might provide you the opportunity to interact with folks that most of us actually try to avoid.
You may think that pride motivated their sharing these things, but it would be because you were not there. You missed the joy they had in sharing what God was doing for them through them. They were not bragging about what they did, but about what God was doing for them.
Late in the night, Jodi showed me the bean bag they had that converted into a comfortable bed (ah, the wonders of modern science), while Zane was fluffy it out "just right" for me, Jodi tried to give me the rundown of all the food and beverage offerings that were available to me. I assured her that I was alright, but she continued to let me know everything they had to eat or drink (the perfect hostess). After finishing the bed, Zane summed up not only Jodi's comments, but in a way, what seems to be their overall philosophy. He said, "There's not a lot, but whatever is their you are welcome to it."
After a night of rest, we all awoke in the morning. As I prepared to leave, we said our goodbyes and in the living room of that little apartment, we shared a prayer of faith with one another and then I was on my way only to return five minutes later to get the coffee beans I had forgotten (dodged a bullet there). I headed on up to Louisville to spend time with my brother and his family from there.
I was touched by their kindness and generosity and was reminded again about the joy we have as Christians in fellowship with friends. They didn't have a lot, but what they had they offered in abundance and I was blessed by it; a worthy example for us to follow in offering hospitality and kindness to others.
Dave,
Enjoyed reading your vacation story. Are you going to use the coffee beans to make a bean bag for yourself? It would add a nice aroma to your deluxe apartment in the sky - not that it needs an aroma! Glad that you had a good trip and more than happy that you are back. Shirley
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