Archive for May, 2007

People and Coincidence…

people 

People!  They’re everywhere, in all shapes, colors and sizes. Ive been pondering on this all day long today. I guess with the whole relocation process I’ve been thinking of all the great people I will be leaving and the new one’s I will meet. Sometimes I sit and converse with God and hope he shows up at my front door. Or maybe just split the clouds in half and show up in a white horse. We all long for some supernatural intervention of some sort. I know, I know…it seems I am steering away from my intro on people. I shall return to that. Anyhow back to God moving in a radical and supernatural way. There are so many things we long for. So many prayers that we hope will eventually be answered, or at the minimum considered. The more I think of this, the more it makes sense. God has placed us here for a reason. He has specifically placed us with strangers in this world. God uses his people to intervene in our lives. We spend our whole lives waiting for the grand moment, only to miss out on the small details God intended us to see. Its in the little things where there are huge answers.

We serve God in hopes that he saves us. We go to church in hopes we keep a good clean attendance in heaven’s book. We worship in hopes we’ll get worshipped..at least it seems that way. I know it sounds a little harsh. We come to God in hopes to receive. We sacrifice in hopes that our sacrifice will be praised and maybe made a saint. We should do all that we do because of who GOD IS.

Yet day in and out we have such a hard time believing in each other. We walk past those in need cause we are looking for ours first. The magic is found when we invest in each other. We are often scared to invest into each other because the turn around is not guaranteed. There is a risk. Trust me, I know.  It is in moments like that where I truly feel God is moved by us. We know God is here, there, and somewhere out-there. I have not seen God face to face, but I have witnessed him first hand in my life through the people around me. Its crazy, its brilliant. It is starting to make sense to me. Jesus Came to this slump to invest in those forgotten. The ones forgotten by their own. He found hopein sand, Riches in Poor and treasures in the trash. The moment we invest into each other with no interior motive, windows in heaven open. When you open the doors to your home, doors open for you. When you help those in need, the tables eventually turn.

I have a passion for people! Why? Just because. I love meeting new people, old people, used people, broken people, all types of people. That is what makes this world so darn interesting and colorful. There is more to what we have been taught. There is more to God then just creeds and rules. I truly feel there is something stirring within us all.

I am not just talking out my back end, I have trully experienced this first hand in my life. It hasn’t been easy and it probably won’t be for you either, but when you least expect it, God does show up at your door step. In a letter, an email, a pie, a car, a breeze, a song, a handshake, a smile even a dirty look.  Just because the road is closed don’t mean there aren’t any detours. The beauty of people. Arch Bishop Romero once said, “when the poor are invisible, God is invisible…I believe it is so true. When people are invisible, God is invisible.

I got an email not too long ago from a friend I haven’t seen in quite some time. They mentioned about how they felt I was so lucky and intrigued by everything happening in my life, both good and bad. I told him its all about investing into people, God’s intention for us, all this is just a result of those investments. He responded “its a coincidence and you are just lucky, and how can you say your toughest moments are related to God”. I didn’t know what to say-nor respond. Deep inside I know All things Work for good, to those who Love God.  A good friend of mine put this phrase on her page that caught my eye.  It said, “a coincidence is God’s way of remaining anonymous”. Then I thought, yeah I am pretty lucky to have someone like God placing things in order for me, who else could do it better. LOL. And of course everything’s been a coincidence!!!! I dare you to try it out. Invest into people. You’ll know when, how, where and with what. No one will need to tell you, cause we were created to do so. Its within you. Its benefits are amazing.

peace

 

Close your eyes and Go…

Is there anything worth staying for? Well, lets see. I have lived in Chi-town all 28 years of my life. I am all about the inner city. I know what it is to walk down the mean streets and walk down the magnificent mile. Two extremes, one roof. My dad came to the US like any other mexican immigrant, looking for a better future for his family. Surprisingly my father landed some great jobs considering his English was pretty tore up. From Western Electric to the CTA, my dad was making great money in the 70′s. The only problem was, he wasn’t happy. So he left all these opportunities to work out in the fields, almost as if it were inscribed in his DNA. He often tells me stories of missed opportunities that out of fear and insecurity he let go.
Anyhow, here I am today. I am totally greatful for my Father and Mother. They took a risk. They came to this country with nothing and have paved a way for all 4 of my brothers and sis. I beat the odds of a gang life, and was the 1st in my family to get a degree. There are tons and tons of stories to share and I will share them at another time, but for now the Question still remains, is there anything worth staying for? I am surrounded by a beautiful family, freinds, loved ones, annoying ones, distant ones…There are many many “one’s”. I now have my own family. We have a great house with a pool, a jacuzzi, and a yard as big as a field. I am the lead singer of a rock band that was nominated by the chicago music awards for “best rock entertainer”. I work for Univision Chicago where I am a news director and technical director. Its a bitter Sweet decision especially considering I have had my family near me for the past 28 years. We BBQ every other day, especially in the winter (We’re hard core like that)!! The thought of leaving them makes me a little sad, but thats’ life.
All I can say is GOd has an amazing sense of humor!! These past months have been some of my toughest momments ever. I’ll share details later. My point is this. We pray and pray for guidance and for God to make a new way in our lives. Someone should’ve told me that my answer required me to leave everything I love behind. Our lives are like movie trailors. We foresee the great part of our movie, the great action packed thriller, the highlight of a romance, or the suspense thriller that has you on the edge of your seat to guess the ending, but we are not shown the road it takes to get there. God often makes it clear what he has in store for us. June 1st I pack my bags and head south. The furthest South I can go, before I hit the water. I don’t know what to expect once I leave, I am totally trusting Gods call for me. I pondered on the move, thought and thought and thought. The more I looked at everything, the more I saw God’s signature written all over it, but I was trapped in the middle of this bitter sweet decision. Then My dad spoke, he spoke like never before. All the speeches in the world could not compare to his five words. “CLOSE YOUR EYES AND GO”. I have seen my trailor and I don’t know how I will get there, but my family and I will.
peace
-fuser+