When Stephen and I sat, prior to the AMAZING worship service on Day One of the Project Gideon conference, we had an opportunity to casually introduce ourselves to the people around us.
The man to my left had a notebook with an emblem on it that looked really familiar to me.
"Is this," I queried, pointing at the emblem on his notebook, "Methodist or Church of God?"
His eyes widened, as he said, "Church of God!"
I told him about my mom, my grandpa, my great-grandfather, all lifetime ministers in the Church of God fellowship.
He told me that he pastors a Hispanic work in the Bronx, New York.
"Awesome!" I said, enthusiastically. "That's just great!"
I told him that Stephen and I were working with the Assemblies of God and pursuing credentials. He jokingly retorted, "Ah...went to the other side, huh?" And then he remarked, "We're all the same family, the family of God."
And I agreed with him.
He told me he had quite the challenge in the Bronx, establishing a ministry in that huge part of the city. He intimated that it was an overwhelming undertaking, a burden.
And that's when I told him about THE CIRCLE MAKER and Mark Batterson. Part of Mark Batterson's story is that he was sent to establish a work in Washington D.C., and felt very much like what Pastor Pinero was feeling when tackling the spiritual in the Bronx.
"You should check him out," I said. "He's been through some of what you're going through."
And he nodded his head in agreement.
Although we didn't speak much after that conversation, I knew God had placed him right beside me for a reason. To remind me that God's family is BIGGER and STRONGER and GREATER than any denominational title or organizational name. We are all brothers and sisters in Christ. And that you never know when you're sitting next to a real CIRCLE MAKER, as I was then.
Amen. And amen.
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