Spotting Jesus in a tattered story.

Two ladies light a candle and place it by a tree. A small piece of wood protects the flames from the beach breeze. One of the woman leans her head on the tree and cries.

A few steps away a young boy sleeps on the sand. He uses his shoe-shining kit as a pillow and stays warm by pulling his arms inside the sleeves of his shirt.

Beach chairs are being slid in to place by the same faces that I see from day to day.

Two boys run along the beach in their tighty-whities with a home-made plastic kite. Their laughter can be heard over the baseball players training near-by.

I have always been a people watcher (which is like a nice stalker, I think!). I have absolutely no shame to run on the beach, sit at a café or go for a walk, all on my lonesome, just to watch others. I pass kids in school uniform, elderly people searching in the dumpsters, drunks, wealthy people, mothers, foreigners, locals. What fascinates me more than anything… is the story behind the face.

Robersy and I were reminded of this truth as we typed up some of the testimonies for his baseball boys. As Robersy read the incomprehensible scribble (do all boys write messy!?) he paused a couple times to say, “Wow! I didn’t know that!” Boys he works with every week!

The truth is… we all have a story.

Maybe it’s a thriller, suspense, comedy, horror or fairy-tale, but it has made us in to the person we are today.

One of the joys I have as a discipleship leader is listening to stories. Through tears, anger, laughter and heart-ache I hear story after story after story. Many times we can get lost in the story. “You did what? He said what? You went where?” But what I’ve attempted to do over the years is to spot Jesus.

When did HE shine amongst the ashes… When did HE lift you up… When did HE let you be… When did HE call you… When did HE watch you walk away...

He IS there. In every story.

The awesome thing about those testimonies from Robersy’s boys is that there was a point where each one of them surrendered their lives to the Author of their story. And on Easter Sunday it was an honor to see 7 of them follow through in believer’s baptism!

You see… their stories are not over yet. My story isn’t over yet. Your story isn’t over yet.

Can you spot Jesus in your story?