A Gift to Share

I like to share the cool things that happen, and from some of the comments I receive from blog readers, I think yall like these postings too.

March 8, 2006 - would have been Mycol's 40th birthday. (If you haven't read the blog entry for this date, please see preceding entry below) I thought I'd share with you how the day went.

I began the day with some pretty intense prayer time, asking God to help me make this day special. Now, I know in heaven God doesn't mark time, but still this date is important to me. So what I asked for was to see Him, to hear from Him, to receive something special on this special day.

As I got showered, dressed and ready for the day I put on the two music discs from the 2001 Promise Keepers. That was the one Mycol went to and as I listened to the songs I kept in my heart that these were songs he listened to. I don't recall who gave me that cd after the fire, but thanks, whoever you are.

I was especially touched by the song, "Higher Ground". It seems so much a Mycol song; the man whose spiritual evolution I witnessed before and throughout our marriage; the man whose spiritual evolution reached a higher ground and to this day feeds me with courage.

I wanted to spend time on this special day with Angie and Missy (daughters) and Lillian (mon-in-law). Obviously, I can't spend time with Angie since she's not in Texas, but we spoke by phone.

So I had two lunch dates. First with Missy in Kingwood and then with Lillian in Humble. The time spent with each of them was personally significant to me.

I wanted to stay in the Humble/Kingwood area after lunch because I wanted to attend the Wednesday night service at Faith Family Baptist Church, but hmmm, what to do with the time in between... ?

Dropping Lillian off at her house after lunch and not quite sure where I'd go next, I felt drawn to stay in downtown Humble, just blocks from Mycol's childhood home. This is the area where he rode his bike, went to church, went to the movies, got his haircut, and worked in the local grocery store (now an Auto Zone) after school.

I parked the (really fast) car and strolled down Main Street in Humble. I walked by the first church Mycol attended, now Deerbrook Baptist Church. I've spoken there, shared our story and testimony last year in this same church where Mycol was brought as an infant. The church office wasn't open this late in the afternoon, so I wandered on down Main Street.

I passed an old-looking barber shop and wondered, did Mycol get his first hair cut here? A phone call to Lillian and Corky gave me the full story. Mycol's first haircut was by Jake Schuler, who also gave Mycol's father his first haircut. Jake was retired when Mycol's brother, Wes, came along, but came to their home so he could give Wes his first hair cut too.

Jake's barbershop is now an empty building at the corner of Avenue D and Main. And Jake has long since passed on. So I asked, was the old shop I strolled by on Main Street one where Mycol ever got his hair cut?

Yes.

I didn't know why I wanted to go in this barbershop, or why I was so focused on where Mycol got his hair cut, but I did, and I was. I had seen the barber sitting outside his shop on a park bench playing an accordian as Lillian told me over the phone that Mycol had been there several times for a hair cut.

The barber, Mr. William Nichols, was back in his shop, sitting in the middle of the three barber chairs when I walked in. He didn't mind me coming in to visit and invited me to have a seat and chat awhile.

Mr. Nichols began telling me about how he was getting back to playing the accordian again after a coronary bypass in 1999. Playing the accordian helps him strengthen his chest muscles. He's owned this shop since 1992 so I knew he hadn't cut Mycol's hair, but the shop itself was first opened in 1912 and Mr. Nichols says its the oldest continuously operating barbershop in Texas. He's been cutting hair since 1954 and by his estimate he's given over a quarter million haircuts.

As I sat in one of the waiting chairs, listening attentively to the lively and educating Mr. Nichols, he shared glimpses of his life with me, a stranger, whose name he didn't even know yet. I learned a bit about his barbering business, some history of Humble, and then our conversation took a turn.

This muscle-strengthening exercise he gets from playing the accordian, "Well, that's all good," he said, "but the really good stuff is on the other side, of course."

I perked up as he opened up and spoke to me of the time during his convelescence from heart surgery, when for a short time, still unconscious from the operation, he got a peek at Heaven, and was in the presence of Jesus.

Silently, my thoughts went to thankfulness for God bringing me to this place, answering my prayer of this morning for an experience, an encounter with Him that would be special for Mycol's 40th birthday.

I could not help that tears welled up and began rolling down the sides of my face as Mr. Nichols talked to me of the joy and forgiveness he experienced in the presence of the Lord. I had to know more. What was it like? What did you see? What did you hear? What did you feel?

I love the way Mr. Nichols puts things. His personality is straightforward, his tone confident, and his demeanor content. And he has a way with words. I guess at 73 he's learned how to share the good things he knows. That's good, he says, because with macular degeneration he can no longer read, so he has to "feel" his words. "Young people don't think about that - well, of course not, they're young, they were born that way." :-)

"Oh," he went on seamlessly, "This music I play on the accordian, this praise and worship singing we do in church, it's good, but it's nothing compared to the praise that's going on in heaven right now. The music is so beautiful in the presence of the Lord. You get so much joy that it feels like your soul has been turned inside out and is just overflowing with joy."

He was emphatic. "No condemnation. There is no condemnation when you stand before the Lord." He quoted scripture to back that up. "It's good stuff."

Ya. Good stuff, I thought to myself; he has no idea how good this is for me. Listening to him I felt like a journalist interviewing the most sought-after sage for a sliver of his wisdom, with a yearning God knew well and answered in a way I would understand.

"I've got plenty I'm guilty of, but with God, I am forgiven, and that's where the Joy comes from; there's so much joy!"

His words don't come out like they do from most folks. Mr. Nichols has an advantage. It's like the difference between having a history teacher teach you by reading from the textbook, versus listening to the life of one who's been there. You want a reality show? This is it.

"And you want to know what I saw," he went on instinctively. "Light. Golden light. It was just bright all around, because Jesus, He is the Light of the world."

"You know that song, 'Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus'?" he asked.

Yes, I knew that song. But hearing him sing it for me made it much more special.

Turn your eyes upon Jesus.
Look full in His wonderful face.
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.

Yes, I knew that song, but now it was different. Now it was being sung to me by a man who had experienced that, who had a brief look at where my family is now, and where we will be reunited.

"That's what it's truly like," he told me. "Just like that song. The stuff people think matters here, it doesn't mean a thing. But when you talk to young people, they don't want to hear about that. They don't want you talking 'religion' to them. But I tell them, hey, I'm not talking about religion. I'm talking about a relationship. It's just Truth."

Mr. Nichols doesn't come off preachy or pushy or talk too much just to hear himself. No, he's just plain ol' good and honest; says what's in his heart. And probably the most impressive thing to him about heaven, the thing he says makes dying not scary, is Christ's perfect love and forgiveness.

"He has a way of cleaning us up like that."

I am always amazed at these gifts God gives me; these glimpses that encourage and nourish my spirit, but they are so often incredibly timely, coming immediately on the heels of my request for such a gift.

It was getting late, near closing time. As I stood to leave, Mr. Nichols asked my name.

"Linda. Linda Street."

"Street? You mean like - street?" he asked, waving a hand toward Main Street outside his window.

"Yes, like street," I answered, smiling, acknowledging that same strip of pavement.

"Well, Linda Street, you won't ever forget this day, as long as you live. And neither will I. Thank you for coming in to see me."

Mr. Nichols knows nothing about me or my family, but God does. And today's gift is another hug from my family, given through the love of Christ.

Oh, and the song he played for me on his accordian - "Precious Memories".

I got to the church for the evening service where Pastor Lino taught from Hebrews 7 and talked about how our identity changes when we accept Christ. At the conclusion of the service he publicly acknowledged Mycol's 40th birthday and pointed me out to everyone, and then came over to give me a hug and said, "You know, Linda, Mycol had that identity. He got it."

These gifts and encouragement feed me in a way nothing else can, through the willingness of people - friends, family, strangers - sharing God's love.