HELLO!

Today at Margaret’s House I was teamed with Dave to offer hospitality to the guests who come for their food. Dave serves the coffee. Today, I was giving out cupcakes. I offered a cupcake to one guest and he responded, “how did you know I was dreaming of a cupcake, a coffee and a smoke?” I told him I was a Margaret House whisperer. He looked a little confused.

I was talking to a member of our church the other day about people who can “break through” to those most of us cannot reach with our pleas, our requests, our assessment of where we need to go. I call those who can finds ways to “reach” those most of us cannot, “whisperers”, like the term “horse whisperer” or “dog whisperer”, where some have a mystical means to connect with animals. This short video will help you understand those who can “reach” dogs with an almost “uncanny” (pardon the pun) accuracy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1P-y3FocGs

If we are being honest with ourselves, all of us can be “hard to reach”, there are topics, issues, where we have our minds made up, we are not likely to entertain other possible pathways to a solution, other than the familiar one we practice. However, for all us, there is that one person who can “reach us”, break through, whisper words in such a way that we do open ourselves to another pathway. Bethe and I have been here 22 months, and it has become very obvious when we have our minds made up, there is one person in the church, one for me, one for Bethe, who can “break through”. Not change our minds but get us to at least deeply consider another way. Neither of us are “my way or the highway” people, I recognize a church is made up of many different points of view. But say people wanted to do something for me, and I was reluctant to accept this kindness, who would be able to “whisper” words that would get me to pause, reconsider, and possibly change my mind? That would be a Kevin-whisperer, and I have a good idea who is the Bethe-whisperer.

When I was in the only church where I faced a conflict, a meeting with M&P that was not pleasant, it resulted in a most challenging six months. 2002 was what the Queen would call, “annus horribilis”. It was even more challenging, in that it was also the year we met our child, when we traveled to China. The good news is things got better, a lot better. The final two years there, produced the best work I ever did. Believe it or not, the church was anxious to keep me. But I was not eager to stay. Even though I was the one responsible entirely for the conflict, the response by the church left me wondering, what happens the next time I mess up. So I left. But in the meantime, the church wanted to throw me a party, give me a generous gift, celebrate our three years together. I said no. And I meant it, and they knew I meant it. The church found the “Kevin-whisperer”, who went to me, and discerned what the church would give me that I would not immediately regift or give away. The answer was an RESP (you can look that up), and it was very generous. The reasoning was, “he will give away anything we give him, but he can’t do it if it is for his child”. They were right. The “whisperer” knew how to reach me.

I believe everyone has a “whisperer”. Who is yours? Peace, Kevin

PS Cathy Belanger took this photo of Dave Thompson and I today offering a coffee and cupcake greeting to Margaret’s House guests.

PPS A choir member sent me this photo tonight. I love the nighttime. It reminded me of this 1964 Animals song, Night Time is The Right Time https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v984nPB-GCk