Not long ago I met Greg in Florida. Greg is a taxi driver who has been married for 21 years and has two children ages 14 and 12. During a thirty-minute drive he told me part of his story and it amazed me.
Among other things, he had a pretty solid contract to play minor league baseball in the late 80s. That was all lost along with any major league hopes due to a motorcycle accident which could have taken his life. Greg also told me about six days that he spent on a roof in New Orleans hoping to survive the aftermath of Katrina. I don’t know if I will ever forget when he turned and looked me straight in the eyes and said, “I lost everything—my house, all my belongings … everything!”
Then he did something that prompted me to write about him in this blog. He said, “But I am blessed. I still have my wife and my two wonderful children!”
We ended by exchanging business cards and I told him that his story needed to be told. I wanted him to know that he had a powerful story and that it could impact many lives. He seemed to be a little surprised by that.
It’s not that Greg has had more hardship than anybody else, though he has had his share for a man in his early forties. It’s that Greg has framed his life as that of a blessed man with some problems, rather than that of a cursed man with a few blessings (that's a huge concept).
In life and ministry, we cannot afford to walk around with the wrong attitude. It will stifle everything we do. If you want a quick litmus test, just review the way you tell your stories to people. What comes after the word “but” in your sentences? Is it the positive part of the story or the negative part? With Jesus in the mix, we are not called to censure the truth (that’s fake), but we definitely can keep the right perspective. As for me, I am certainly reviewing how I end my thoughts and frame my circumstances.
By the way, if you are planning to go to the Pensacola/Destin/Fort Walton area in Florida and want to connect with a great person, let me know and I will put you in touch with Greg.
