Two weeks ago, TaLora told me a strange story. She'd been part of a leadership conference held in Austin and as part of the program, took a tour of the state capitol. Two young ladies approached her and asked if she were a WCS student. She replied affirmatively and they asked if she knew Coach Hawley. TaLora told them I'm her Bible teacher. The strangers proceeded to the gift shop, purchasing a tie for TaLora to hand deliver to her Gospels' instructor! The only problem when she related this vignette was that she couldn't remember the names of my benefactors. Their identifications were revealed the next day when she brought the tie still in the gift store bag with Haley and Curran emblazoned on the outside. Haley and Curran- two of my favorite students ever! They were grads at WCS before TaLora arrived on the scene so their paths had never crossed. But they remembered I like ties. Well, LOVE is a more accurate description. The fact that they thought of me is amazing and that they spent money on the beautiful tie which I will wear tomorrow is even more amazing!! (My guess is that gift store ties in the state capitol do not come cheap, especially for young ladies who have yet to make it big in the business world!) To quote a wonderful old hymn- I love to tell the story!
Let me regress just a bit. As far as I know, and they know, Curran and Haley had never crossed paths with TaLora, one of my absolute favorite current students, before. So how did they identify someone they had never laid eyes on with both our school and me? Well, TaLora was wearing a WCS hat that day in Austin. The two recognized the logo and the colors and that they and TaLora were related on some level by this piece of fabric. There always has to be something to set us apart and not in a negative way. Christians should recognize Christians.... but then again, outsiders should recognize followers of Jesus. How? The Savior put it simply:
"By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." (John 13:35)
That's pretty straight forward, isn't it? No mention of political party affiliation or nation of origin or ethnicity or level of Biblical knowledge. Love each other. That's the tie that binds, no pun intended. If three Houstonians can make connections in Austin over a cap, surely a dying world can see a glimmer of hope in those of us who claim to be as Jesus commanded, the light of the world. And remember one more thing: I love ties!
Applicable quote of the day # 1:
A woman may race to get a man a gift but it always ends in a tie.
Earl Wilson
Applicable quote of the day # 2:
You can be 24 and continue to live like you're at college, or even continue to live like you're in high school. Or you can put on a shirt and tie and pretend to be an adult.
Ezra Koenig
God bless,
Steve
Luke 18:1
www.hawleybooks.com
E-mail me at steve@hawleybooks.com
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