I'm on vacation in Key West! One of my favorite destinations in all the world. It is an eclectic mix of some of the most interesting people you'll ever meet. A large gay community. Drop-outs from the American "way of life." Cuban and Haitian ex-patriots. Alcoholics. Drag queens. You name it, Key West has it. Some would say the debauchery, degradation, and defiance exclude this town from God's abundant Grace. I whole-heartedly disagree! I humbly submit my reflections from Key West, as a testimony to the spirit of her people, and of God's Spirit acting in this place...
Tonight I spent happy hour at the Hogs Breath Saloon, "better than no brearth at all," is their tagline. I love it. It is an assembly of all the best personalities that comprise Key West.
I sat beside a guy from Austin, Texas and his wife. She and her daughter (32), and her best friend, set out for a walk along the famous Duval Street, so I engaged him in conversation. Turns out, his wife is a welder, who was exposed to the bright light of a welding torch without her goggles, burning her retna beyond repair. The climate of Key West, mostly humid (like it is this week), and somewhat overcast, is best for her condition. So they bought a home here, where they reside three months out of the year. It helps her "condition," and allows her to function almost without restriction.
What struck me about the whole conversation was the grace with which he shared his personal sacrifice. He had no apprehension about doing what was necessary for his wife to thrive. Make no mistake, he has a pretty good business back in Austin as an electrical contractor, owns other properties in a a variety of Texas towns, and is pretty well connected in his home state. BUT, knowing the sacrifice involved, and not being all that much a fan of Key West, he was prepared to come here annually for up to three months, to be sure his wife was healthy and happy.
So, I asked..."what about Galveston Island," off the coast of Texas...didn't it have a similar climate? Yes..he shared, but not quite the same. Key West it seemed, with it's clean, unpolluted air, heavy humidity, and realaxed pace, suited her needs just perfectly.
What struck me was the absolute sacrifice I heard in his voice. He knew, without a doubt that this was not HIS choice, but he did so without apprehension because it's what was best for his wife. He even shared with me the properties elsewhere that they own, talked about the opportunities to succeed in Utah, west Texas and Colorado, but never once came across as feeling deprived of those opportunities.
I admired his conviction, his compassion for his wife, his sacrifice...and thought to myself, this is Christ-like. I ask him about his belief in God, and he shared that God never gives us more than we can handle...a common response from pseudo-Christians, but I had to remove my "judgemental" filter for just a moment and appreciate what this guy was really about. He was absolutely making a Christ-like sacrifice, without naming it as such...and was happy to do so. I told him as much. He wasn't all that freaked out, so we chatted a bit longer, and parted.
So often, we assume that towns like Key West, Miami (south beach), New Orleans, have so little to teach us...yet my experience tells me that God's Spirit is EVERYWHERE, acting through those we don't even expect. May we ALL be a bit less judgmental, and more open to the movement of the Spirit wherever we find ourselves. Thank God for humbling me yet again, even in the most obscure and remote places as the Hogs Breath Saloon.
e here
No comments:
Post a Comment