What you are about to read is a recollection of a dream I had last night. I started this at 4:30 a.m., and finished at about 6:20 a.m. I had a feeling that this had to be written down, and what follows is a weaving of stories that intertwine and further enforce that fact that God is always working in our lives, and that he has a plan for us...always.

There's a professor, a gray haired old man with glasses, one that prided himself on helping other people out with their problems. I suppose he was an inventor of sorts, an imagineer who came up with new concepts and ideas, but through it all he was a man of God; a strong one who had one of the closest relationships I had seen.

He had this system, built for people who had rebellious tendencies.

For instance, a man in his very early twenties was visiting the professor, but he came with grief and frustration. There was an obvious anger dwelling up from within him, and he told the professor all about his evil intentions...or in a way I suppose he could've been confessing his sins; I really don't know because I didn't hear what this boy had to say, and this is actually the first I remember of the dream.

Either way, after saying all this stuff to the professor, this youth held up a knife to his own throat (actually, it was more of a machete that he held to the back of his neck, as if he was going to be able to decapitate himself in one swing.) The boy was ready to accept the consequences of his inaction, but first he wanted to hear from the professor, a man who he had much respect for, yet could care less for his teachings.

So he told the professor to rate his, we'll call them "sins" on the professors system, or scale.

"On your system," he asked the professor, "16 being the highest, where would I fall with what I just told you about myself?"

The professor had to think about this.

I mean, here was this boy, ready to chop his head off as soon as he found out he was a person of evil and therefore not worthy enough to live. I guess it was one of those moments where you only had one decision, and you had better make it a good one if you were willing to save this boys life. But the professor was calm, and I suppose he, at the same moment, felt like he wasn't going to fall for this, and outwardly showed no signs of losing his professionalism, but on the inside he was feeling so much compassion...so much grief for the boy.

He used reverse psychology.

"17." The professor said, and on that professor's scale, any case above 15 was marked with the label "high", and so that's how the professor rated this case; yet he believed it to be true. In all reality, though, 17 would be a rare case to come by, according to his system, and yet it was still not the highest number he had ever experienced in his life.

Details unknown, he had once helped a man who was actually rated an 18, but all this information he kept to himself, only contemplative as he sat at his desk, upon which was written this system of pyramids and diagrams.

He determined, though he couldn't predict how, that if he remained in the boys life, that it would take 8 years before this boy would actually find God. In actuality, it wasn't that he determined this himself; but as he sat their contemplating the fate of the boy, he was also praying, speaking to God, asking him what would happen in this new relationship he had formed, and so God answered.

Not only that, but God also told told the professor, through use of a "side note" etched on his desk, that an additional 8 months blessing would be given in this specific case. The professor was taken aback at this information, and upon further contemplation, he was able to realize that the past 8 months in his life...up until now...had been a blessing from God. Everything that had happened in those past 8 months had led up to this point, had been a preparation for this specific encounter.

How odd is that?

___

Now I woke up for this dream, and immediately I tried to think of a certain situation in my life that could have caused me to come up with such a scenario. I know that it had to have significance, because I didn't just wake up and roll over; go back to bed. No, God must've woke me up, because I was suddenly stricken with a thirst, and I had to get up for water; which isn't a normal habit of mine in the middle of the night.

I was now awake. I now had time to contemplate.

Last night, around 6 p.m., I went to Barnes and Noble. That whole day I was planning on hanging out with some new and old friends, in preparation for me leaving today to go home and visit family. This little get-together, though, became an entire bust, and though I got to see a couple people (they were playing in a small ensemble; christmas carols at the barnes and noble) I pretty much deemed that the night would go by uneventful.

I grabbed a couple of magazines, the second book by Rob Bell, Sex God, and proceeded to leave and go back home. I was stopped short in the parking lot by the sound of an acoustic guitar. I continued walking, almost immediately thinking I should just go home and forget about the boy with his open guitar case, accepting spare change with a gracious attitude.

But I didn't.

I turned around, and walked back, and sat down against a pillar just listening to the music. It was all original material, and it was all in my opinion, very good. He had a soft voice, though, a good one but he wasn't singing out much, but through it all I heard this great melody, and I had determined in myself that this person in his early twenties had some real talent.

I just sat and listened.

Eventually some lady came by, asking him some questions and telling him she thought it was very good. He replied with appreciation and told her that he had broken his roommates vehicle, and he was trying to help get some money to fix it.

Then my friends, the ones I told you about earlier (we were supposed to hang out, but I told them not to worry about it since no one else had showed up) came by and asked me what I was doing. I talked with them for a bit, before they went in to finish their christmas caroling, and then the other guy stopped playing.

So I spoke to him.

Asked him about his playing, where he was from, and found out he did this kind of things a lot. He's also from Pittsburgh, and was raised here so he's been living here for about a year and a half now. I told him where I was from, and that I was in the Navy and had only been around here for about the same time. I told him I had moved my friend up here from Texas, my roommate who also broke his vehicle...or that it burst into flames yeah? and I told him we were also supposed to do the same once, but it never got off the ground.

"So do you play?"

"No man," I said, "I'm more of a singer, though I am trying to learn to play piano (slash keyboard)."

This got us on the subject of music, which of course is a great subject to talk about as we all know. But it's also a subject you have to approach carefully. I'm not one that likes to say, "Well I like a little bit of everything, cept for country...", and I also don't want to put out any weak band names either. People can get a lot of first impressions by the type of music you enjoy, and I didn't want my first one to be a pansy one.

"Well, I mean, what type of voice do you have?"

I had to tell him the truth. "I guess you could say I have a more, pop-punk kind of sound...but I listen to different stuff. Favorite bands, though, are Switchfoot and Relient K."

Ah...that hit a note.

"Relient K?"

But he wasn't a fan...haha...no...far from it.

He had heard of them, their earlier stuff he said, and something he also heard was that they had turned christian over the years. Quickly I had to inform him, that they had always been christian. "You're sure?" He asked as he puffed on his cigarette.

"Yeah..." I smiled, "Quite."

I also came to learn that his father was a missionary, I supposed a traveling one by the way he waved his hand around, and so he had heard of some christian bands. In fact, he told me he was always surprised when he would listen to FM radio, and a song would end while he was with his father, and his father would turn to him and tell him, "They were christian, by the way."

It was some death-metal band. Though, I guess without the "death", which would qualify it as metal, but with Jesus Christ attached to it you could probably call it "Life-Metal", but that's taking things a bit too far.

This person also talked about how he almost joined the air force...coast guard...one of those lame military instillations. He proceeded to tell me how he waited outside the recruiting office because they were closed, and he was "drunk off his a**", ready to enlist as soon as the doors opened. He sobered up, finally, and found himself thinking, "What am I doing?"

Back on the subject of music, I ended up confessing that a lot of my music was christian, but he seemed to have no problem with that; because eventually we exchanged numbers, telling each other that we're both willing to try anything that comes along, and this seemed like a perfect opportunity. For one, he told me he hated the sound of his own voice, but even though I thought it was decent, I didn't play down the fact that his guitar skills were above par with his singing. And me, well, I would like to think I can sing.

He also has a yamaha keyboard, and who knows? If I ever get around to learning more on mine, well then I suppose that will be perfect enough for me, yeah?

But, this is also a very hard thing to do, I realize...

Because starting any sort of project, I always determined that it would have to be with people with the same beliefs as mine, otherwise it would end up falling apart because my intentions might be different from theirs. This encounter, though, was different, and I couldn't deny the sudden coincidence that he happened to be playing the same night I was at Barnes and Noble, and we seemed to like each other's style...so...

I couldn't deny it was something from God.

___

Back to the story of the professor.

Though the professor didn't know how, he knew he was going to be an influence on this boys life, and that the boy would eventually find a strong relationship with God, but it would be a work-in-progress for the next 8 years. The professor would have to put a lot of things on hold, as far as future plans went for him, but would still be able to do the things he loved, all the while helping out this boy in the process.

This is the conclusion I came up with.

God puts this encounters in your life, and they don't always fit in with your plans. There are people in your life that, as you get to know them, as the boy had known of this professor for months now (probably the 8 months preparation that we talked about earlier,) you'll start to become an influence in their lives.

God knows, and this is if you continue to live in a good relationship with him and keep living life the way he created you to live, exactly how long it will be before this new person in your life has a lasting relationship with him. He has it all planned out, and though you may not know how exactly it's going to happen, you do know, because of the system, that it's going to take a lot of work and it isn't going to be easy. In the end, though, everything will pay off.

___

Here's the thing: I know that me and this person don't share a similar lifestyle; because as I stopped and offered him a ride to his workplace later on, he politely declined, eventually telling me that he had to wait around an extra ten minutes for a guy to come by. "I have to give him something," he said. More to the point, "It's kind've an illicit deal."

We all should know what that means.

To me, I had two initial thoughts...

one: this could never work out, his lifestyle is obviously different from mine, and even though I might call him later on, I probably shouldn't expect anything real to come from it.

two: and this one pretty much wipes out the first one completely...

I don't choose who enters my life and how. God does.

Picture this, Jesus was a man who had dinner with prostitutes and tax-collectors, some of the most vile and poor people on the planet. Who am I, this person who claims to be like Christ, to say that this encounter wasn't for a reason? or that I can't be an influence in this person's life?

First off, this man's father was a missionary, and so he must have a basic understanding of Christ that he's either tried to forget, or has fallen away from in his own travels. Second, I'm not one to let opportunity to pass by, especially with the talent that this guy had. I believe he could do something with his music, I really do, and though I don't have the connections to give him a chance for a record deal, I do know that I can possibly help him step away from his lifestyle as it is now, and hopefully I could lead him to a better one.

It's one of those moments, and these are rare moments on the scales and diagrams, where you realize you've just met someone that might change your life forever. I can be an influence in this person's life, and all it really requires is for me to continue living the way God created me to live. Using the gifts and talents he's given me, in the way he would want me to.

You know, I keep saying I am just waiting for opportunity...well here it is.

God has a plan, and he has put it into effect, and he knows exactly the type of outcome that is going to come from this. Whether it be 8 years or 80, this man may have an astounding relationship with God yet. I just have to keep inventing. These concepts and beliefs, I'm an imagineer who has a vision for the future world, and all I gotta do is continue with my passions.

Another thing to keep in mind, is that if you had thrown this situation at me a year and a half ago, I would've screwed it up royally. The past year, as mentioned in my last blog, has been a big learning curve for me, and I grew up exponentially within the time frame. I've come to realize that, among other things, the past year has practically been a blessing; actually...I could also go as far as saying that...

God has been preparing me for this moment, for this one specific encounter.