Monday night (October 26th) I had the opportunity of a “life time!”  I was treated to the concept of “story” by Donald Miller and a “real” monologue by Susan Isaac.  I have never really viewed my life as “story”…until now.  One of Donald’s quotes that really caught my eye was, “The truth is, if what we choose to do with our lives won’t make a story meaningful, it won’t make a life meaningful either.” (xiii A Million Miles in a Thousand Years). If your life is a “story,” how would it read?  Susan takes a different (and very difficult) road of exposing her troubled life with those who have little hope (and who typically won’t step into a church). As I sat and listened I was struck with her real-life illustration of what it’s like to walk away from God….and to be rescued by the same loving God. Drugs, sex, alcohol, re-hab, and broken relationships (yes…for the neat and tidy a difficult thing to talk about in church…her point exactly). Yet, to really see the POWER of our God we must first see clearly how He pursues the lost, the broken, and the disenfranchised.  Then she shares that she began to listen to the Lord and He was there. She speaks of the scripture found in Ezekiel that says, “the voice of the Lord is like the sound of many waters”…quoted from her book, Angry Conversations with God, pg. 223). As she describes her real sense of God’s forgiveness she refers to the Song of Solomon that says, “Arise, my darling, my beautiful one, and come with me. See! The winter is past; the rains are over and gone. Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come,” pg.237). In her story, you now can see the hand of God on her life.  The event was on Monday, and in the past 2 days I have had conversations with an entire Starbucks “congregation” (because of the poster on their wall and the book in my hand) as well as heard from another pastor (from another church) about 2 very angry men he brought with him…and how this changed their life! At first glance, hosting these two may have seemed “different” or “unusual” at best.  This night was not for the life time church goer (although with an open mind could be enjoyed by all)…it was for those who are concerned about a “world of people” who desperately need to know God. The ones that Jesus pursued…the lost, the broken, the disenfranchised. The ones that will never come inside a church for a Sunday service but will sit in a bar and soak their troubles away.  The ones that Paul tells us to reach, “at any cost.” The ones that have a father (sitting in the back taking notes) who desperately cares for his atheist son…and came to “absorb” something that would give him hope. Thanks Donald and Susan for reaching people that I will never have the opportunity to reach!  It changed some lives and opened a door for others to know God!