JAY IN THE HOUSE

NOTE: SORRY that this is all run together!! This was composed on the "NEW" Google blogger template. I HATE IT! I miss the old one, which does not seem to be any longer available. When I composed this piece, it had paragraph divisions, etc. When I "published" it, the piece all ran together. Thanks a lot Google Blogger. I am being sarcastic. I HATE this! Well here is my piece: "I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority..." (from I Timothy 2:1-2) If you're perceptive and alert, you can experience some interesting encounters with some interesting people in the midst of ordinary life. It makes me think of something that Pastor Westover (my first pastor in the Assemblies of God) preached in a sermon back in the 1970s. He said that you can learn something from almost EVERYONE and ANYONE. I remember him adding, "And, that guy digging ditches, you can learn something from HIM!" Today, I encountered Jay, a very interesting character. Following several hours working at the answering service, I went to my "other" job at BJs Wholesale Club, passing out flyers as people entered the store. After about an hour, and many "people encounters", a couple who appeared to be in their early seventies entered the store. They seemed to be olive skinned, and the man looked Asian...maybe Chinese or Japanese. The woman took a flyer, and the man immediately engaged me in conversation. As the flyers were for the Optical department, he began telling me of the problems he is having reading signs. Honestly, I'm having some of the same problems, so I could relate. This guy was very engaging and he talked and talked. He talked about how difficult it is to read highway signs. Then he commented something like, "this reminds me of the kind of stuff the Obama Administration does" and he chuckled. I chuckled along with him and told him I'm not really a fan of President Obama and that I thought I understood his point. The man told me his name is "Jay". He then said, "I'm sure you would NEVER GUESS where I originally come from." I don't think I could have. He was obviously Asian but his slight accent seemed Spanish. He then told me he was born in South America and that his first language was Spanish. He is ethnically Chinese. His actual legal name is Javier. Jay said that from the age of twelve he had been fascinated with the United States of America and wanted to come here to live. He loved the American culture and customs. Jay came here in the 1950s; he told me the plane landed in Philadelphia and that is what he considers his "birthplace". Jay had slightly bad breath. It wasn't TERRIBLE, it was just slightly bad. He had missed a few spots shaving, which I find is common with a lot of elderly men. He had several moles, including one prominent one in between his eyebrows. His wife stood patiently off to the side as he talked to me. She was around five feet away. I wondered if she was upset or impatient with him, but she seemed very calm, like this is common and he kind of needs to pontificate about life and politics and that she's content to just wait and let him talk. Jay expressed much displeasure about the Obama administration and the direction in which the country is moving. He said he longed for the America of the 1950s and 1960s. Jay's hero is Ronald Reagan. He admitted Reagan's administration incurred much debt, but Jay said he deeply admired how Ronald Reagan brought down the Soviet empire and stood as a true leader. I'm also a huge admirer of Ronald Reagan and Jay was pleased that I agreed with him. He told me, "back in 1968 when Reagan first ran for President, I had a FEELING about him that he would be a great President". He was very disappointed that Reagan did not get the nomination that year, but was thrilled that he finally was elected President. "My feelings are not ALWAYS right, though," he added, "I felt the same way about George W. Bush and I was WRONG!" I agreed with Jay's assessment of George W. Bush and I told him so. Jay said he knows Mitt Romney is "wishy washy" and is no Reagan, but he feels confident in voting for him. "I used to be a management consultant," he said. "I have been to Utah many times. Many of those Mormons are better Christians than most Christians are!" I'm not sure I would put it THAT way but I think I know what he meant. Many of you know I'm extremely unhappy about the choices we have for President this year. I think they're BOTH bad choices, but I found Jay's comments valuable and helpful. Jay's final message to me was vivid. He held up his hands in the "Praying hands" posture and he urged me to pray for our country. "Pray,PRAY!" he exhorted. In a moment, Jay and his wife were on their way shopping. It was quite an encounter for me. Jay was in the house!