(no subject)
I remember talking to my friend Nathan one time. Nathan was in the Denton Light Opera with me one fall when I was 16. He was a good guy, Christian, polite, didn't do drugs... (he's now a drama teacher at a high school). He was so nice to me even though I was an angry little athiest who wore lots of black eyeliner. He used to drive me home from rehearsal in the evenings. We became close friends in no time. One night, I started to cry on the way home. He asked me what was wrong, and I ended up telling him about somthething really awful that had happened to me 2 years earlier. After telling my story, I asked him if he thought I was a sinner. If he thought I was going to hell. If he thought I was "damaged goods." If anyone would ever really love me. He said "God loves you." At the time, I remember thinking "yeah right, whatever Jesus boy". But what he said after that has stayed with me for a long time. "Think of it this way," he explained. "Suppose a man is standing before a crowd of people. He holds out a perfectly new 100 dollar bill. He askes the crowd to raise their hands if they want it. The entire crowd's hands go up. Then, the man takes the bill and spits on it. He crumbles it up. He sets it on the ground and steps on it over and over. He asks the crowd who would still like to have the 100 dollar bill. All of their hands go up again. Nothing has changed really." Aftery he was done telling his story, I was then expecting one of his lectures he was fond of giving me about faith. Instead, he explained, "You've been spit on and crumbled up and stepped on, by more than one person. You've been made to feel like you have no worth. But, you're like that hundred dollar bill. You've been through a lot, but your value will never change. To me...to God, you are absolutely priceless. And I love you. My God loves you, even if you don't think you know him."
That is probably one of the most beautiful things anyone has ever said to me. At the time, his words were mereley comforting, but over the years they have begun to have much more meaning to me. He's truly a kindred sprit...and wise beyond his years. Nate, wherever you are...thank you.
That is probably one of the most beautiful things anyone has ever said to me. At the time, his words were mereley comforting, but over the years they have begun to have much more meaning to me. He's truly a kindred sprit...and wise beyond his years. Nate, wherever you are...thank you.