As If Nothing Had Changed

Anita and I had the privilege of eating dinner with Amy (Evans) Smith and her beautiful family this weekend.

Amy was on of my youth group kids at Union Chapel Church in Muncie.  Of course, this was when I was 19 years old and Amy was only twelve.  But despite time and space, not much has changed about Amy.  Her energy for life remains the same.  Her radiating smile can still light a room.  Her soft heart is evident in the tears she sheds as she we stand around the center island of her kitchen and talk of finding meaning in life.

Of course, the Mexican food and grape salad was wonderful.  The conversation was stimulating.  Amy’s husband was charming.  Her children were intelligent and witty. In all, it was the perfect evening and I was so thankful for the opportunity to catch up on old times.

As Anita and I walked to the car at the end of the night, we both commented on the strange coincidence that brought us to this moment.

What we did not know before Friday night is that Amy and her family live within a few blocks from our very dear friends.  Over the course of the past five years, we’ve driven right past Amy’s home at least 100 times.  We’ve probably seen her boys on their bikes or in the front drive playing basketball.  And we never knew it.

This type of thing seems to happen all the time.  Just a few weeks ago we ran into a young lady from our College Avenue Youth Group.  She was holding her daughter on her hip, constantly and lovingly stroking the child’s head.  When I saw her last, in 1996, she and her two sisters were singing a song for my going-away party at the church. (Yes, they were so glad I was leaving they threw me a party.)

I run into old co-workers at the store.  I attend church with friends from high school.  I recognize old college friends in the mall.  I saw another youth from College Avenue last night at Symphony on the Prairie.  They are everywhere!

And I think that is the point of all this.  People who were important part of life’s journey live all around us.  Perhaps, if we open our eyes, people who may become an important part of life’s journey live even closer.  Your neighbor for the past 10 years is helping you become who you are today.  They are shaping your heart and mind, they are changing the way you interact and react.  Your coworker in the next office is helping shape your journey in ways you may not even know, in ways you won’t understand for years to come.  You may run into them at the Farmer’s Market a decade later and you will suddenly be reminded of their place in your heart.

That’s what happened during our evening with Amy. 

As a youth worker, all the kids are special (you are paid to say this repeatedly).  But there are always a few that hold a piece of your heart forever.  At the risk of missing someone, I would have to say that MY kids at Union Chapel were Gerald, Polly, Kathy, Carol, Trisha, and Amy.  They were the ones who stood out.  They were the ones who helped change my life.

Meeting with Amy for dinner, running into Erin at the Farmer’s Market, seeing Molly at Conner Prairie was a not-so-subtle reminder of our connection to others and the power they have in our lives. That’s why I am so very thankful for the gift of chance encounters, found memories, and taco dinners.