Got a lot to do today. But first (way back months) on
this blog.
A late January balmy summer night
in Hamilton found us dining street side at the 'The Furnace' with Kyle & Lisa
Smith; nowadays of Spokane, Washington State via years in Los Angeles, Hawaii,
Anchorage, LA, Seattle, Rwanda, London, and for Kyle; once upon a time my
next-door neighbour, schoolmate and best buddy here in
Gordonton. Smithy's gone been stateside Salvation Army some time now
so we seldom catch up. This was the first time for him and Lisa to
meet my Eden. None of us were to be disappointed.
Kyle was a man well before he past the
boyhood years. Since we first met his faith in Jesus Christ has been
a constant inspiration and encouragement to my own. He embodies
Christ in a way precious few people do; for whatever the weather, the
situation, or the mood around him he stands a rock impervious and
content wherever God has placed him. Our fathers were also best mates
at school but the later busyness of farming and attending different
church circles meant Kyle and I never really crossed paths until
5yrs of age at Gordonton Primary School despite living on neighbouring farms.
From then on it was never a question
of would we be hanging out together anytime we were in the same
locality. We had plenty of other friends and were both well-liked but, for me anyway,
a school day absent his presence was never quite as bright. I found
school challenging ideologically and emotionally rather than intellectually; to me the system was such
an impersonal machine that ran roughshod over anyone different than
the seemingly desired sameness. Kyle cared
too but he had the ability to rise above it all while still relating
easily with anyone. He lifted others up where I'd get bogged down.
It's like he knew where, when and how he should help and did so trusting God to take care of everything else still undone rather than be
overburdened by it all. Boundaries I guess, and figured out way before most feelers get theirs even half sorted.
That said, he's since told me I was his anchor in
some early situations at school where our Christian faith was
challenged by the majority. He had better political skills
with others but when talking failed he'd listen to my counsel knowing I'd not move an inch
when sure of my convictions. My bassline for his lead breaks.
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| Us circa 2005. |
Kyle's
confidence was placed in something other than peoples opinion of him
or what he had or did, or didn't have or didn't do. He moved easily with an
unusual grace where I often felt so awkward. I understand now that his defining character is the felt presence of the
divine. People feel at ease with him even when they are vastly different. The peace of knowing his God knows him and yet still loves
him means he can focus on others without self distracting. People feel loved.
Kyle walks with Jesus and so Jesus walks with him. This sets him
apart like nothing else can. I believe that stability
was the main reason that, in all our childhood and youthful
exploits over many years, we never once exchanged a bad word or look. A friendship based on trust rather than expectations so it
exceeded every expectation. A friendship where neither needs to lead or
follow because, depending on the situation, those roles are mutually assigned without a word needing to be
spoken is something never forgotten. And yet it can and will be attained as a more common thing for when Christ returns and ushers in perfection as the new normal this will be a real part of our inheritance. Hallelujah!
That Kyle would be an exceptional
leader was never in doubt yet he never sought it or it's rewards - exactly what defines and legitimalizes the most pure forms of leadership I guess.
So it was interesting, albeit terribly
predictable to me, that our favourite question for any married couple
“tell us how did you meet and why did you fall in love?” soon led
to a tad bashful Lisa admitting (with a healthy shot of fierce pride)
that her first look at God's man lost her the war nevermind what
battles they still had to fight over the terms of the eventual peace.
A treaty I had the honour of seeing declared at their wedding in
Seattle en route to my first stint in Africa. Another instance of
God's perfectly timing another blessing into my
schedule without me having to alter anything. Then on to the same
Africa where, like Kyle (albeit years later), I would meet my own godly
American beauty. Both our gals were first-timers in Africa when God
called us guys back to Africa to turn their worlds upside down ;)
An evening of four hearts testifying
to God's faithfulness to each of us as individuals and couples
across every good, or hard, hour and mile of Africa, America and New
Zealand. Time galloped past. Oh for more! Roll on heaven and eternity
together.
Forty years of friendship. So many
details changed. So many unlikely happenings. So many differences. So
many similarities. God with us the one unchanging constant.
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| Sun appearing in the east south of Mt Kakepuku an hour south of home. |
Among other things this last March brought us three Dicksons a timely weekend roadmarch south and then east to Wanganui to collect a recently purchased (by online auction) 1982
Honda XR500R. For various reasons I sold my 2004 KTM 640 LC4 dream trailbike
last December. Now I find myself owning the dream trailbike of my
once 16yr old self! Thirty years catching up alright. In motorcycling terms
power, speed and control have advanced very noticeably; no matter - with Andrew
bikes once loved = always loved :)
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| Old sneakers hung along 400m of the Raetihi-Wanganui road. |
From that farm 30min south of
Wanganui we traipsed another hour further south until the non-metropolis farming slash student town of
Palmerston North whence we parked the trailer (loaned me by another bike
nut; my Prison Care Ministries boss Geoff McMillan) and precious
cargo at Nathan & Melissa Ketchen's very Christian home (their street address is 2 Christian Place!) before finding a motel
and zooming off for a quick showing Eden my old alma mater Massey
University.
Not having the post 9/11 smart card ID
now required for access into Rotary Court student hostel meant Eden
missed experiencing the cramped confines of my old room E1.1, perhaps a blessing eh? An ambling stroll around Massey's
now-larger campus and well-landscaped gardens replete with tales of
old feats and defeats was next in order. That accomplished we were
accelerated squareward to the centre of Palmerston North and
an Indian takeaway picnic in the park where we were amused by the
antics of more than a few St. Patricks Day partakers a passin' by.
And through it all Zeke never missed a self-focused beat. The kid
sure has staying power. He determines where and how early you
stay in :)
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| Took Dad's old V6 Mitsi to better pull the bike trailer. |
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| Lunch break overlooking Whanganui River. |
Next morning Zeke denied himself with
the result that we slept in long enough to ensure a scramble to make
church in time. This was not helped by my having left the street
address of the Reformed Church online. Hence Eden found herself
plugging laptop into inverter to access the internet while I drove in
the approximate SE direction. It was slow booting and loading up,
well it seemed so to me who by now had made so many turns into
streets I wasn't recognising after my 20yr absence that I was
despairing ever arriving at the church nevermind avoiding mere
tardiness. So I had the bright idea of asking God for help. How
quaint you say. And I'll add O how wise for as the closing words left
my lips we came to the end of the current street and glancing right
or left I felt 'go right' and only 50m or so along there was our
destination. Sorry Googlemaps, too late you load! Superseded by download from the Ancient of Days.
Nathan preached powerfully from Exodus
7 on idols and how we become like whatever we worship. Excellent topic for a blogpost someday. After good post-preaching fellowship there with the churchfolk we joined Nathan and Melissa and their children at their aforementioned home
premises for a decent lunch and more fun and lively discussion. It
was a blessing to see the Ketchens
happily settled in NZ (Melissa's home) given I first met them at the
Franklin Square OPC on Long Island, New York in Sept 2009 on my first
trip o the Eastern U.S.A. when Nathan was pastoring a Spanish-speaking church plant in Queens. Never imagined then that next time we'd be
catching up in heartland country New Zealand, but with God
directing all our steps anything is possible - even all these happy,
fruitful, marital unions twixt Kiwi's and Americans!
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| Before the last KTM Waingaro-Raglan ride Dec '11 |
Speaking of which...I've less than a
couple hours to run before I do some, no A LOT of, catching up with my Eden and Zeke after their 9 days loooooong absence. They
joined Dad and my nephews Jack (Lynda's youngest) and Jesse (Janet's
oldest) for a 1000km road trip south to visit my other sister Helen
and her family at their farm near Mayfield, Canterbury. Good extended
family bonding time (the only reason I allowed it!) Throw in the
ferry crossing between the North and South Islands of NZ such entails
and it's a 2-day drive each way that hopefully doesn't break said
bonds. I know Zeke will have unselfishley supplied his calming cooing and similar
soothing sound effects. Normally he's a real trooper and travels very
well to a point. After which he doesn't. No doubt he'll be catching up on sleep when he makes home tonight.
Sounds
like a very good plan :)
