It's All About Who You Know

I got to sing for a very special birthday party last weekend. Azle Elementary School (aka “The Rock”) turned 100 years old.  The building that started out as Azle High School in 1912 has been a campus for grades 5-6 for as long as I can remember. 

As a resident of Azle for the past 21 years, I am accustomed to getting invitations to sing or speak at special events.  This invitation, however, came because they needed a last minute pinch hitter.  The celebration organizers had put together a great lineup of former “Rock” students representing several generations to entertain visitors at the big shindig.  Two days before the event, the person scheduled for the 9:30-10:00 a.m. time slot had to cancel.  After the initial panic, someone suggested they call me.  “But he didn’t go to school here,” someone said.  “Both his kids did,” said someone else, “and that’s close enough.”  Fortunately, I had a couple of open hours on Saturday morning and was able to fill in.

I got to thinking about all the opportunities that have come to me because of relationships.  I was on that stage Saturday first of all because I am Tova and Zeke’s dad and I got to know their teachers when they went to school there.  I’ve been involved in events because of whose dad, husband, son, nephew, grandson, son-in-law, or friend I am.  I have a website (gerrylewisonline.com) that describes a lot of the things I have done and for which I am available, but I can’t recall a single time that someone found out about me there and invited me to participate in their event.  Pretty much every invitation has come because someone who knows me recommended me to someone else.

That is a humbling reminder that life is about relationships. Each one of us has had someone who connected us with someone else.  Think of that person who served as a reference to help you get a job.  Or the person who introduced you to your spouse.  Or the lifelong friend you made because your kids were on the same t-ball team.

For many of us, we can think of the person, or perhaps several different persons, who introduced us to faith.  For those of us who have a personal relationship with Christ, it almost never happened without someone else’s influence.

I am even thinking about what the end of life will be like.  If I understand the Bible correctly, there will be a time when I come into the presence of God.  The only way I will get to remain in His presence is because of Someone else.  Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)

Our lives matter so much to God that He puts the right connections in place for us.  I am so thankful for those who have connected me.

Now, who can I connect?