You Are More Important Than You Know and More Gifted Than You Can Imagine

Our friend George Dunn joined us to lead the Free Store conversation on Thursday morning.  He started by saying, "If you wanna know what people are like you gotta hang out with them a while, like in the back seat of my car on the drive in this morning."  We laughed as we imagined our rotund ogrish friend hunched over the wheel belching out threats at offending drivers.

George started the conversation by saying, "The more I live in America the more ashamed I become.  We spend more money on pets than we do helping people in need."  He went on to say that he didn't think that "blaming Wall Street" would do much good because the real problem is "greedy human beings" and there is no law that can fix that.  George said that something happened to people that God never intended.  He referred to the line by Mr. Smith in the movie The Matrix, "You human beings are a disease."  He went on to say, "We have enough bombs in the USA to destroy the world one hundred times."  At this someone said, "I've always thought it is ironic that the military has guided missiles called 'smart bombs.'  It doesn't take much intelligence to solve a problem with violence."

As the conversation proceeded George said, "We are all gifted people.  If nothing else we all have the gift of life.  It's not about having more but about what you do with the gift you already have."  He then told us about his friend John.  "John was a poor veterinarian that cared for animals whether the farmers had money to pay him or not.  He appeared to be a nobody on the outside.  He had problems with the IRS.  He almost lost his home to foreclosure.  He had marriage problems because his wife thought he was a failure because he never made much money.  But over five hundred people attended John's funeral and many shared emotional stories of his influence in their lives.  His life mattered even though he wasn't recognized by the world.  He flew under the radar."  George went on to say, "Jesus didn't own a home.  He didn't travel very far from where he grew up.  He was betrayed by a friend, tortured and killed as a blasphemer.  On the outside his life looked like a failure.  And yet his influence can't be measured."  We laughed when he said, "I bet if Joel Osteen had come into town even Jesus' disciples would have gone to his seminars."

At this point George said, "Don't ever think you are insignificant.  I know a guy in NY who decided to voluntarily live a life of poverty.  When I asked him 'Why?' he said, 'Money is not a blessing to me.'  George went on to say, "We have to define success for ourselves.  No matter how much you have, start with that.  You have enough love for everybody that you let in your little circle."  We talked a bit about how sometimes we are afraid to take risks and give what we have or try what we want.  Someone said, "I once bought a stock for $72 a share.  It immediately dropped to $11 and then the company went bankrupt" which made us laugh.  Another friend said, "Sir Edmund Hillary was the first man to climb Mt. Everest.  When asked if he knew in advance if he would be successful he said, 'If you know the outcome in advance why bother?'

As the conversation moved to a conclusion George said, "You are important to God.  You are more important than you know and more gifted than you can imagine.  The world may never recognize you but God will."  At this another friend said, "You was right about that scared thing.  I was scared to get a job.  But then I started sellin Speak Up magazine.  I told my friend 'I'm goin down to the police station to sell these.'  She told me that I'd get in trouble.  But I went anyway and they were glad I was doin it."