This past week I met a man named Able in Massachusetts, if you were to see him coming at you down the street, you would try to avoid him. He was Latino and had tattoos from head to foot, gold chains and a very piercing look.

We were parked next to each other and I asked him how things were going since he also was driving an expediter van.

I ended up speaking to him for almost three hours as we were swapping stories about our lives. He has 2 boys the same age as ours, been married for over 20 years and lives in South Florida. He was a truck driver for the post office until he was hurt in an accident and he couldn’t say 2 words without a cuss word to break up the boredom!

I told him about myself and the things I’ve done and about being a pastor for 17 years and he asked me why I quit the church, (he’s catholic). To him if you stop being a priest, you leave the church.

I told him I didn’t leave the church, that I was saved and still preached when I have an opportunity, and my relationship with Christ isn’t based on the church but his grace.

To him salvation is in the church, but he didn’t want to talk about it and quickly changed the subject, and that was fine, I don’t believe in shoving things down someones throat. The Spirit will convict and move when he knows the time is right.

Well you might think that I would never speak with him again, oh contrare! He got ahold of the company that I’m contracted with and got my cell number and called me the next morning! I was shocked to say the least, especially since my company is not to give out any personal information, but he convinced them that he needed to speak with me, but it wasn’t about the Lord, it was about starting his own business.

Although Able looks like a gangster and I must have looked like a cop standing there talking with him, you talk about two completely different characters!

And yet, he was one of the nicest men you would ever meet. I’ve actually spoken with him three times now on the phone, you’ve got to turn a deaf ear to all the cussing and he definitely needs the Lord but you can’t help but like the guy.

But Able is really the same as everyone else, when you peel off the menacing outer shell, he has fears and doubts as everyone. Questions about how to take care of his wife and family, anger at our government who are stealing and destroying our nation and wanting to stop them.

Questions about his future as he’s getting older and how can he make it when his lifes savings are gone.

I did try to be a witness throughout our conversations and I hope that when we talk in the future (and I know we will) that the Lord will give me opportunity to give the gospel as he leads me.

Don’t let looks of a person scare you off from starting a conversation, you might be surprised at what doors the Lord may open.

And some of the things they may say might make you laugh, when I told Able that I was a preacher, he said “You don’t look like a preacher!” in that Spanish accent!

I asked him, what is a preacher suppose to look like?

He said, I don’t know, but you look just like a regular guy!

I had to laugh, he is use to seeing his Priest in his robes and looking all regal, I was just a regular guy.

Thank God that I simply walk where he walks and have the same struggles that he has, but I’m thankful that the Lord saved a regular guy, and I hope that Able will see that Jesus is able to save him.

I’m hoping that the Lord can use me as a witness as I travel over this country, Jesus said go out there where the unsaved are and compel them to come in, “that come in” is into the family of God.

Perhaps I spent too many years in the church when I should have been out in the field.

We have our oldest son who is a deputy sheriff and his wife who is a Spanish teacher, just called us and told us that we are going to be grandpa and grandma!!!!!

I’m too young and good looking to be a grandpa,  of course,  the, ” to be grandma,”  is so excited she dropped her false teeth, into her vat of rubbin cream that sits next to her girdle (that cream helps her slide into the girdle!) she bent over to fetch her teeth, but slipped off her by the bed commode,  (bathroom too far)

Hurt her hip,  jumped up and yelled hallelujah,  but shouting caused her wig to fall over her eyes, blind and slippery, she fell out the window onto the dog, who ran across burning leaves and started the house on fire!!!

But praise the Lord anyhow,  homeless, no teeth and girdle less,  we’re goin to be grandparents!!!!

I got to admit I was a little confused at first,  my daughter in law (whom I love)  (ps. to kill at times!!!)  She put my face on a I LOVE OBAMA POSTER ONE TIME!!   She’ll pay big someday!!

Anyhow, she  told me that I was going to be a grandpa, but then she said,  they were goin to adopt Michael Jacksons kids!!  (She’s such a liar,  they don’t even know Michael)

I was confused which happens allot at my aged years,  I didn’t know if she was pregnant or going to adopt?   But finally, she calmed me down and said yes, they were going to have a baby.

Not that I’m against them adopting Michael Jacksons kids,  but I fear they might be as weird as Michael was.

Of course everyone is excited,  our daughter,  who is in college, is going to be an Auntie!  Auntie Steph,  sounds kind of like something you would have to put on after you cut yourself!  HEE HEE HEEE

I’m a party all by myself

You see, this is what I’m worried about,  a grandchild around me?  I can be off in la la land, and my dear grandchild could be swimming with sharks!!  I guess they’ll never let me watch em  huh.

Becoming a grandpa,  man, I never thought that day would come,  but then again,  my knee hurts right now, so I must be old enough to bounce a baby on it,  because the pain would be grandpa like!

I wondered what kind of grandpa would I be?

I never let my kids get away with nothing,  we would correct them,  hold them responsible for everything,  but a grandchild,    who cares.

I can turn him into a total brat,  a nightmare,  and then laugh my behind off as I watch my kids haul him home bouncing off the car door!!!

I can just picture the mean sneers I would get from my kids,  as they try to hold their kid inside of a car that he wants out of and to be with grandpa,  who will let him run WILD!!!

And I can wave and smile as they drive away,  and think to myself,  payback,  for that OBAMA PICTURE!!!

The more I think about it,  maybe I would make a great grandpa,  I can teach him how to change his own diaper,  paint on his parents walls,  hide somewhere good and then watch his parents go nuts looking for him!  How to make 911 calls to a different address, how to make a slip and slide out of butter in their kitchen,   how to stop up the toilet,  and how to drive a car,   and most importantly,  how to get a tattoo,  all before the age of 5!

Yeah, this grandpa stuff is sounding better!!!

And it doesn’t matter if its a boy or girl,  their brains are nothing more than a bowl of jelly and I can mold it into a genius of my making!!!

If you think about it, grandpas are the best,  we have all this wisdom bottled up in our heads, and we’re just dying to pass it on to someone who doesn’t know that we’re just rambling on about nothing.

Thats the great thing about grandpas,  they don’t have to be a dad,  thats my sons job,  I can just love em, spoil him and send him home, TO WRECK HAVOC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

YEAH GO GRANDPAS!!!!!!!  and grandmas,  you bake cookies,  for us guys to eat!

Becoming grandparents,   my kids might want to rethink it.