Thursday, January 31, 2008

Heston

"so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe" Philippians 2:15

Ryan and I just got back from the Bahamas at 2 a.m. on Thursday morning. We had a lovely time, missed our son tremendously, and really enjoyed having bonding time for our marriage. God is so good, and we are so appreciative of all the good gifts He continuously pours into our lives. I will post more about our trip later this week.



While we were in the Bahamas, we stayed at an all-inclusive resort; so we only wandered off the hotel campus once during our stay. At night, we would try to partake in the evening's more tame planned events, which two of the nights was a sing along at the piano. The resort hired a local man named Heston to come play the piano and have guests sing along to classic songs from 50's to 70's. Ryan and I loved this part of our trip, as we both like to sing.



To say Heston was talented is an understatement. More than anyone I've ever witnessed, he had an AMAZING singing voice and the piano playing skills of a professional. Without a doubt, he could be a famous musician someday. Time and again, the many guests singing around the piano would gape at his talent and skill.



On the first night Ryan and I did the sing along, I watched Heston closely and noticed that he didn't ever sing the word "Lord" if it was flippantly placed in song lyrics (example: Good Golly, Miss Molly). I also noticed that in one song it said something to the effect, "do you believe in the good Lord above" . . . to which Heston quietly pointed upward and said in a sing songy answer, "Yes I do!" When Ryan and I got back to the room of our hotel wing, I told Ryan I thought Heston might be a Christian, and I hoped we could find out more.



Well, God arranges things nicely. Ryan and I got to the piano early the next night, and when Heston arrived, the three of us chatted a bit. Heston was ecstatic when he found out we lived in Orange County, California. His father, who recently passed away, was a pastor who had been visited by Rick Warren. Because of this, Heston had also met pastor Warren and wanted to come visit Saddleback church desperately. He chatted briefly to the fact that he was currently deciding as to whether to use his gifts more in his own church or step back for sake of job and family. I was so inspired that God allowed this conversation! Heston asked for our e-mail address, as to which we gave him, along with our church's website and I Peter 4:10 written below it all: "Each one of you should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms." Ryan graciously ran up to our room and gave Heston a copy of the book he was reading, "The Call," by Oz Guinness. Though Ryan was two chapters shy of finishing, the book spoke to the use of gifts our Creator gives us and how God may or may not use you to work in a church job. It spoke perfectly to the dilema Heston was facing. (Certainly not a coincidence).



Though you might be thinking that God used Ryan and I to minister to Heston, He also used Heston to encourage us. Upon hearing we were Christians, Heston smiled and said, "I knew it!" Among all the drinking (many drunk) and scantily clad guests, Ryan and I stood out to him. He told us that he had noticed us the night before, because our conduct was so different from the others in the room. He said it was "a breath of fresh air." Now I certainly do not want to sound prideful in writing this part. If anything, it made me feel disappointed that I don't hear this more often from strangers. I don't count it too great of a success that Ryan and I stood apart from a group of rowdy, drunk all-inclusive hotel guests. How difficult is that? My point in all of this is that it made me feel encouraged to live a life set apart with more vigor. I never assumed Heston was watching us, but I am glad my witness was not tarnished with sinful behavior. Because Ryan and I were living as Christians set apart from the lures of this world, the Holy Spirit was able to prompt us in conversation and action to help another person. I feel energized in my battle to live boldly and get through those "awkward" times with a resolve not to compromise just to "fit in."


I don't know if we'll hear from Heston. He said he wanted to take his family to Orange County this next year, and, if so, he would e-mail us. God certainly works in unexpected ways, so don't be surprised if we introduce you to our visitors, Heston and his family, in front of the church some Sunday. Either way, it was a meeting that encouraged and strengthened me in my walk, and it underlined the fact that God is everywhere--even at a piano bar in the beautiful Bahamas.

5 comments:

Amy Kaylor Photography said...

Love to hear those kinds of encounters with other believers. Can't wait to hear more about your trip!

Shannon said...

Oh, Chiara! What a cool story. I love meeting Christians from other countries. It reminds me that God is a lot bigger than I realize and that heaven will be full of so many different looking Christians. Also, I would like to know more about that book Ryan gave Heston--I think Mike might like to read something like that.

Jennifer Gray said...

I LOVE this story!! This is great! Thank you so much for sharing - although how could you not? I would be bursting at the seams to share it. I loved the reminder again to live holy in an unholy world. We never know who is watching. Jen

Tall Tale of a Teacher! said...

Amen Chiara...God IS every where! I love that he met Ryan and you on vacation, at a piano! What a gift God gave to the both of you and to Heston. Such a good reminder to do what Ryan actually talked about a couple weeks back at Thrive...to be black sheep! Some times, probably more than I would like to admit, I will just blend, but my desire is to stand out in not such obvious situations...the park, the mall, the grocery store. We have such an opportunity as Christians to stand out for God!

Ryan Hawley said...

It is interesting the way God works -- often times when you least expect it. We were definitely blessed by him.