the clear air

The Lost
The actual year cannot be recalled. Was it spring or summer? I don’t remember. But I know it was three years ago and I’d received an incredible gift, a person walked into my life that inspired me. I wasn’t looking for him either. I had never experienced such an instantaneous feeling of love, friendship, and connectivity for another human until meeting him.

The day is still vividly imprinted my mind’s eye as if it were yesterday. It was a day of disappointment, as the realization of something hoped for would never ever fully materialize. “The One” really was not and discovering this began to unravel the delicate fibers tightly woven in the validation of self that were not easily acquired.

Life had been stationary: family, church, work, and friends with personal priorities always taking a back seat. All was gray and very routine. Some women like to be rescued, and this one was no exception. So, driving lost on highway 90 and looking for a friendly face to help put me on the right course, we met and exchanged numbers. Later he called to ensure I’d reached my destination. A spark was ignited and the color of gray changed to the color of life: FIRE!

The Friend
My friend was a very complicated man at crossroads in his own life, trying to rebuild a business lost, trying to support a couple of children, whom he absolutely adored. He had a coco brown complexion with a very strong raspy voice. We could talk for hours, whether on the phone or in person. We were together no one else in the room mattered. He once said, “We vibe well.” But it was not meant to be. So, feeling frustrated and miserable, I decided to ask God, “Why did you bring him into my life, if it were not meant to be.” God didn’t answer.

So again it was the day of disappointment or discouragement, with my mind a million miles away in some distant zone, some faraway place, God decided to answer my question, though the voice of familiar stranger.

The Familiar Stranger
The familiar stranger was a chameleon, very tall with reddish skin sometimes. He could change. Black culture can be extremely diverse and he could have been easily be mistaken for a black man. But he was not. He was from a culture made up of two worlds both old and new, one Latin and the other European. And although, he could be quite moody and on occasion rather easily pissed, the heat in his palms radiated, the tone of his voice illuminated, and a once accidental kiss on my should revealed the tenderness, warmth and kindness of his heart. Whenever he spoke, no matter how casual the conversation, it was open and unabridged, and unguarded. This brother seemed so very familiar and I was drawn to him and very curious about him at the same time.

So detached from the rest of the world, just going through the motions out to lunch with colleagues, we entered the place where he worked. This is when I met him for the first time. Again the same negative thoughts racing through my mind and God decided answered through the voice of this familiar stranger, who said, “You’re bad!” I looked around to see who he was talking to before realizing he was talking to me. Instantly, the day of disappointment turned into a day of possibilities. My focus instantly changed. Yes, I am bad and blessed too! Just blessed because, God will address any issues, including those of self-doubt and uncertainty in the right time, His time. He shows me just how important I am to them. That’s all I need. Sometimes, I forget.

God has a purpose and reason for everything, even the people he brings into your life. Sometimes, it is a test. Sometimes, it is to help the other person bear his or her burden. And yes, sometimes it is to help you. For that reason, people come and go. But He remains constant. He is always there to comfort you, lead and guide you. Communication is the key in any relationship, but the best communication and the best relationship is having an intimate one with God. If that is right, everything else will fall in line. So, his purpose in my meeting the friend was to help him in making a transitioning into a new way of life for himself that had absolutely nothing to do with me. However, for me, it was an awakening, an awakening to possibilities. We are the “bestest” of friends. I can call on him whenever I need him and he can do likewise. However, he will never be “my man.”

In Native American culture, fire represents transformation, cleansing and expansion. And now, I have now been experiencing that in my life at a more accelerated pace. So fire is the color of life. A woman of God said to me, “God is going to restore you and give to you undeniable faith in Him.” I can now see it. Things that I’d lost are being restored or replaced with something new and better.

As for the familiar stranger, I am still not sure why he is seems so familiar. Maybe one day, he’ll tell me. One friend said, “God’s people recognize each other and maybe that’s why God used him.”

So to the familiar stranger, I’d like to say. You may never know what a person may be working through. You’ll may never know when God is using you for His purpose. Your actions and words no matter how trivial, even a mere complement, may impact a life. I just wanted you to know and that you’re a stranger no more.