Strange

        

       People are strange. I don’t say that to be mean or rude, it’s just an observation. I mean, I’ll admit it, I’m pretty weird (I have a wife and several family members who will attest to that). We, as people, are often very strange in how we live, how we think, and in what we spend our free time doing. Even the most seemingly normal person will have some weird habits. For example, I will not eat the yellow and green Skittles, unless I’m desperate. I’m just not going to do it. Just to be honest, they’re gross! I do the same with Mike and Ikes, jelly beans (but I don’t eat the black licorice either), and Starburst. I also have the strange habit where, if I take a handful of candy, I will line them up in the order I want to eat them, from least to most favorite. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve got plenty of other quirks, most of which I will refrain from sharing in public, but I think most of us have some strange quirks and habits that we do. Some of those might cause us some embarrassment, but the reality is that our “strangeness” makes up who we are. It is what makes us unique.

In the midst of our weird quirks and habits is an amazing and beautiful story of how we have been shaped from the experiences of life, the highs and the lows. Some of our weirdness comes from our family (definitely blaming them for some of my strange habits), we have developed some of our quirks from the experiences that we have had, and there may even be some of our weirdness that comes from our DNA. But in all, this is what makes up our story.

One of the most amazing privileges we get is to learn about each other’s stories. Every time that sit down with someone, I try to learn more about who they are and what they have experienced. I’m often amazed at the winding roads and paths that they have gone down. It’s so fascinating how God takes us from certain situations and places and leads us to where we are now. Sometimes, I find people with similar paths to mine, while others are totally different. In some stories, I find great sorrow and pain. In others, there is joy and laughter. But in all those stories, there is always one commonality, I can always see how the hand of God has led them down each of those roads and to each of those places to bring them to Himself.

I think about the story of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch. Philip was not an apostle, but had been selected by God to serve the church as one of the first seven deacons. Scripture tells us that each of these men were full of the Holy Spirit and we can see this clearly in Philip. In Acts 8, we see God doing a powerful work through Philip in Samaria. God was using Philip to heal the afflicted, cast out demons, and proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Many people are surrendering their lives to Christ and are being baptized and the city is full of joy! But it’s in the midst of this amazing revival that God calls Philip to go to the desert road near Gaza. When he arrives, the Spirit has him catch up to a chariot where he finds an Ethiopian official in a chariot: ³⁰ So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” ³¹ And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. ³² Now the passage of the Scripture that he was reading was this: “Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter and like a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he opens not his mouth. ³³ In his humiliation justice was denied him. Who can describe his generation? For his life is taken away from the earth.” ³⁴ And the eunuch said to Philip, “About whom, I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?” ³⁵ Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus. Acts 8:30-35 (ESV)

Just like Philip, the Spirit will lead us to people and places for His good purpose. Most scholars believe that, because of this meeting, the Gospel message first makes its way into Africa. Our personal koinonia (fellowship) with other people is meant for us to learn who they are and how to minister to them. Sometimes, in learning who people are and what they need, we find that they need Jesus!

        Don’t let other people’s “strangeness” scare you away from getting to know someone else. If you’ll take the time and open yourself up, you might find you have a lot in common, and you might find you have the Jesus that they have been looking for.