“Where you been Gabe?” Mike pretty much knew the answer; like himself, his colleague traveled a great deal. Both trekked the world—literally. Gabe gave the courtesy of an answer anyway, “Just got back from the northwest; prior to that I was in the south region for a while.” Having similar positions in the Company, they knew each other’s job well. Gabe politely threw the question back at Mike, “How ‘bout you, where have you been?” “Where haven’t I been is the better question?” Mike said, with a smile. Gabe knew what he meant.
“I have been thinking about something though,” said Gabe. Wanting to take the opportunity to bounce some recent thoughts off his friend, he said, “I’ve noticed something about them; something that has helped me better understand their condition.” “What is that my old friend? I thought you’ve been doing this long enough you’d plumbed to the bottom by now,” laughed Mike.
Gabe enjoyed the ribbing, but continued, “You remember that old Jimmie Stewart movie, the one where Clarence gets his wings?” He knew his friend did so he kept going. “Most of them love movies. Moreover, I think I know why. They see their life as one.” “What do you mean?” asked Mike. “I mean they all want to be in one. Not in Hollywood or on the big screen for all to see, but they want their life to play out like so many of their films.”
Mike wasn’t sure where Gabe was going with this. “You mean they think they are actors and actresses?” “No, but come to think of it, some are really good at dressing up and pretending to be someone else, but that’s not what I am talking about. What I mean is they all want their life to be some kind of romantic comedy; they want their laughs, they want their romance, and they want it to end with a ‘happily ever after.’”
“Now I’m tracking,” inserted Mike. Gabe kept on going, “Then again life never plays out along a singular plotline. They forget reality. There is tragedy in this life, and there is drama. There is action, adventure, and mystery, too. Sadly, for most, there’s even going to be some horror. But what I am seeing is that a good number of them incessantly complain about the plot.”
Both fell into a reflective pause. Before either could say more, they both received the summons. It was to the destination they loved most. As they headed to Corporate, Mike had one more question. “Gabe, don’t they know He’s the Great Writer, Producer, and Director?” “Deep down, I suspect they all do, Mike. Nevertheless, it’s always been about faith and trust. The ‘happily ever after’ is for those that do.”
“What a great ending that will be,” smiled Michael. Gabriel’s glance back said he agreed.
Pastor Rich Hamlin
February 6, 2014