Someone Special

I was in the pizza shop a couple weeks buying a pizza. There was a young man at the counter talking to, what appeared to be, his friends working the counter. I stood in line and waited. He realized someone else was in line so he moved over and let me take my turn in line. I told them my last name and that I had a pizza ordered so they scurried to get it. The young man, now standing off to the side looked at me and said “I think I know you.” I looked at him and didn't readily recognize him. “Is your name Troy?” “Yeah!” He then told me his first name and then it clicked. I said his last name as a form of a question and he excitedly said “YES!” He was a boy in the youth group that my wife and I spent a lot of time with a few years after we were married. The rest of the conversation kind of went like this:

Me: How are you doing?

Him: Good. I just got married last weekend.

Me: Great, congratulations! How's that working out for you?

Him: Great.

Me: What are you doing with yourself?

Him: Just working in a factory, for now. (he named our local factory)

Me: I worked in that factory for three and a half years.

Him: I want to find something else...something different. I just want to be someone special.

Me: Don't feel bad, I still work at a factory.

They called my name with the pizza so I turned around to pay for it, hoping I could talk some more with this young man. When I turned back around, he was gone. I wanted to encourage him further. Maybe invite him and his new wife out to our place for dinner. Didn't happen, though. It just bothered me what he said. He just wants to be someone special. I struggled to understand what he meant. Maybe I read too much into it. What does he want to be, a doctor, a preacher, the President, a professional football player? What's his idea of special? A dad? I don't think he had much of one growing up. We each have our own definition of what makes a person special. I work with all kinds of people from doctors/surgeons to company presidents to engineers to machinist to janitors. Each one may or may not utilize their God given talents and abilities. Does their occupation make them special? Many would say it would. Look at our celebrities. Our sports heroes. Musicians. Does it make them special that they are good looking and can memorize a script or a song? Does that make their opinion on politics, world peace or animal humanity/rights more special?

I can remember in the '90's, when I was looking for a job, that everyone had to have a college degree to get a decent job. I can remember the school's commercials. It showed someone flipping burgers with their sad face on. Then, after attending their college, he wore a business suit to work and a happy face. I was always thinking, “yeah right, what geeky actors.” But I fell for it. They showed how that would make me special so I thought that might work. I now know that I am special, but in a different way.

I was reading an article in Popular Science (I know, now I'm the geek). It is in the September 2005 issue and it's ironically titled “Super Human”. On the front cover it tells that articles within this issue will show “How science will help us live longer, smarter, stronger” with:

• A better brain

• Artificial muscles

• Smart drugs

• External wombs

• and Cures for everything

Talk about a special person! It even has a centerfold picture of a “Fully enhanced HUMAN 2.0”. Their idea of some of the equipment near future humans might be stacked with, like micro-chips in their brain to help them retain thoughts/memories; titanium hearts; the newest artificial lung; artificial spinal discs; cellphones that are implantable into your teeth; eyes that can see new colors that we have never been able to experience before and on and on. Some of these things are near future if not already available. Some are farther off. One article tells about drugs that some manufacturers are already working on. These drugs would not treat an illness. Like an athlete that dopes up his/her body to get the extra edge in their competition, these drugs would dope the mind. They are memory and thought enhancing drugs. Some are very specific. Want to feel a little more religious? Pop a pill. Want to be a little calmer and sharper for the test or interview you have? Pop a pill. Some of these medications were originally developed for Alzheimer patients, but they saw that they could “enhance the mind” of healthy people. Don't think that I'm anti-medicine. I occasionally take Advil for an achy back or a headache. I even encourage medicinal repair work. Bad knee joint? Get a new one. Bad sinuses? Get them fixed. If it's broke, fix it. But if it's not broke, don't try to manipulate it to make it work faster, stronger, harder. I personally think we run to science and medicine too hastily. There are is so much we could fix (I believe) with diet, exercise and discipline. Wow, sorry about this tangent.

If we only used our God given gifts and talents to love others, to me that makes a special person. I told my wife the other day that the reason God gave us so many girls is because she is good at what she does. She is an excellent cook/baker/chef. The house is always clean. Those are gifts/talents that need to be shared with them. I am guilty of withholding my gifts. I personally can't think of any talents I have right off hand, but I'm certainly blessed with God's gifts. I typically I keep them to myself. What a shame. What a sin.

Just being a child of God makes me special. The brother of Jesus. Being His servant makes me special. Being a dad who spends time with his children makes me special. Being a loving husband makes me special. Being a friend makes me special. Helping someone in need makes me special. Sharing about God's goodness with others makes me special. Being a pilgrim in this world makes me special. Don't think that I bragging on myself. I don't have these areas mastered yet. Some of these areas are pretty weak in my life. My goal is to try harder in each area. And this is not an exhaustive list. I'm sure I'm missing things. I also know that many would not agree with what makes a person special. That's why I'M writing this on MY blog.

I hope that God puts me in the path of this young man again. I would love to talk with him some more. We'll see. In the mean-time, I'll try to be special!

God bless!!

“…holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:” Heb. 12:14