My Friend Gator
I want to introduce you to my friend, Gator…
Gator has 24 tattoos. I have 0.
Gator has beat up a lot of people up. I’ve been beaten up twice.
Gator has done every drug imaginable. I had laughing gas once at the doctor’s office.
Gator’s never been real fond of church. I’ve been in church since I was a baby.
On the outside Gator and I don’t have a lot in common. However, after further review maybe we actually do. Maybe, we have more in common than either one of us can imagine.
Gator and I are both sinners that have been redeemed by an amazing God. Gator’s getting baptized a week from Sunday and I can’t wait!!
If there is one thing I’ve learned in my life it’s that “anything is possible”. Who’s the person that you’ve written off? Who’s the man or woman in your life you’ve assumed will never be reached by God? Who’s the individual you think God could never use you to reach because you have too many differences?
Let’s spend some time praying for them today. Remember you really aren’t that different.
In this case, I’d keep Gator close. You never know when you might get beat up again!
Ha ha, that’s a great comparison between you and Gator. Although I wouldn’t rule out getting a tattoo – they’re all the rage with rockstar pastors these days.
That was funny! I actually have one of “those” people in my life, I will pray for her today. Thanks for the reminder.
I love it! Great post! Thanks for the reminder of never stop praying and never judge on the outside.
What a great testimony!
It would be so fun to come to a church meeting and say “Hello, Brother Gator”… but even more fun would be when you are parting “Later, Gator” because that wouldn’t sound so silly. I wonder if he ever says “After while, Crocodile”. hmmm.. such deep things to ponder.
Your friend
Amen!
Pray for one another………….. daily.
We’re so happy for Gator! He’s awesome!
Very cool. Strength in natural diversity and spiritual unity.
@tonyyork, ha!
His real name is Elvis. Isn’t that cool??
Praise God for Gator….. I did at one time loose hope for my dad and siblings salvation because of drug addiction. But last year my sister was saved and my brother whos home right now is the Harris County Jail excepted Christ 2 weeks ago…. Their messed up dirty lives were not too big for Our God……
There is no justice in this world. He has two cool names.
I can remember when I was about 8 having a conversation with my parents while driving home one evening. I was so tired of my name and I asked them why didn’t they name me something cool like “Lion Tamer”… I think they were laughing at me – not with me… and of course the story was shared with the rest of the family (I have 10 Aunts and Uncles on my dads side and a bazillion cousins).
After a while, Lion Tamer didn’t sound like such a cool name either.
OH.. I forgot to say..
“Uh, thank ya, thank ya very much” with my best lip curl.
Your Friend
Oh how I love this post!I love how it celebrates the individual being rescued from everyday ordinary life and being welcomed into the kingdom of God. It truly feels like a joyous occasion, a true celebration of the individual soul. I love the idea of celebrating salvation on a personal basis like this. Not just on a macro level, i.e. here are the number of people we reached today…or we baptized X amount of people today…but saying “Hey, everyone this is Gator, Welcome home Gator! We’re so glad you’re with us, We love you! Come everyone, let’s party!” That’s what I love about it. It’s personal, and it exemplifies what the true meaning of our jobs are everyday. This IS what it is all about. Nothing else. Gator..YOU are the reason we are here, the reason we get up everyday and go to work. Today, we honor and celebrate YOU!
i LOVE baptism Sundays. I am so glad God made us all so different. It keeps us on our toes. Welcome to the family Gator!
Gator is my new favortie guy name.Wonder if I can talk my wife into naming our first son that?
Congrats Gator! You are a awesome dude. I knew this the first time that Nate introduced us. In case you don’t know: I am the security dude that married a Cajun. You and I are always talking about food.
This topic is so awesome, Pete. I went to a concert last night. Without boasting, I invited the bartender to church last night. Her and I had met before in an AA meeting. She is covered in tattoos, also. I can remeber a time where I would’ve assumed she was lost. You know what they say about ASS U ME. I share this because I am thankful today that I am not as judgemental or hypocritical as I once was.
Amen !
God has brought a long list of ‘unChristianables’ (as I call them) into my life. The reason some of them couldn’t/wouldn’t ‘get it’ it is they were too smart. Researchers and doctors I used to work with at Vanderbilt,(even the ones in prison seem to be above it all). Then there was my dad who just had a little too much pride. “I tried getting down on my knees and praying but I felt so stupid I had to get up!” That was how he felt…until he knew he was dying that is. The one in my life today is my best buddy who just finished his doctorate. He has all the underpinnings…a huge heart, a love of life, a constant longing for deeper fulfillment and a fairly open mind (usually). But he can’t stand the image of today’s Christian…homophobic, judgemental, sel-righteious,self-serving, naive, opinionated, our ‘we’re right and everyone else is wrong’ take on salvation, not to mention our rejection of evolution and the ridiculous belief that God knows the number of hairs on the heads of everyone alive. But after all this he says, “But I didn’t say I’m NOT a Christian. I know there’s something.” That’s the part that keeps me praying (and grinning). After all, it’s still politically correct to be ‘spiritual.’
I’m reading a book on Einstein. Even he said the universe has too much randomness to be explained by science alone and that there’s a certain overiding element to creation that can only be explained by a devine entity. “To that end I believe in God”. It’s sad that he realized that yet never found the everlasting peace in his own heart that comes from a relationship with Christ. My prayer is that my best buddy will.
praise God!!
my brother is one of those i’ve written off a time or twelve. he gets just close enough to rock bottom to scare him, change some things temporarily and then back to his old ways once the dust settles. i’d appreciate your prayers for him. thank you.
“They” say near the three year mark, a church can become inward. Thank you for being an inspiration to me by not giving into that and just loving others more than you love yourself. Your church and blog continues to stretch this little church planter from San Antonio. I appreciate you.
@John Van Pay, I know that struggle well. I’m inspired daily by the Cross Point attneders and their willingness to invite friends from all walks of life.
A very important reminder. Thank you.
Your blog is amazing and is a very important ministry. You probably don’t even realize how many lives you touch and how many seeds of salvation you plant with your posts. Keep up the good work!
Sweet. I want Gator to be my friend too.
That’s great news! And a great thought to keep in front of us.
Gator looks like he can keep you from getting beat up a third time. As Brad referenced, as you grow in fame as a Rockstar pastor you will need body guards.
By the way, I have a friend named Ford…and he drives a Chevy.
That’s what I think I love most about life … how it surprises me ALL THE TIME. It really is all about what our heart looks like, isn’t it? Great reminder. Thanks, Pete.
Hey Gator… if you’re reading these… I’m a 35 year old from another part of the country that could make Pete look like a troublemaker in comparison, but if you need another friend to walk with through this you are always welcome to email. Consider yourself as having another friend who is praying for you!
sara
http://www.gitzengirl.blogspot.com
I LOVE,LOVE,LOVE stories like this!! God is SO good! I love it that God can take anyone (even me) and bring them to their knees in repentance of their sins. Why is it that “some” Christians are so judgemental? I’d venture to say that if we could go into a time-capsul back to Christ’s day and see the people who were redeemed back then we’d be amazed. It was the down-and-outers, the poor people, the ones we’d probably not want to even be close to, much less have a conversation with that were drawn to Him. Yes there were the rich ones too..but we don’t hear alot about them in scripture.
If not for the Gospel of redemption, my own Prodigal Son would not have come back to his Father in faith and be a follower today!! I want to “echo” ‘welcome to the family, Gator’!!!!!
gator is an aweome name so is elvis. gongrats and tons of awesomeness to him. tatooed people are no different. my daddy had tats all over(full sleeves, upper body-front and back) he was the most gentle loving man i knew. he went home almost 5 years ago. i am so glad the i get to se him again.
one of my sisters is that person. i didn’t write her off, but she does make it hard. often there are other memmbers of the family that through deeds or words make keeping up a relationship tough. the best thing to do i found was to be the best example for them by living the best life that i can. and to enable them to see the benefits of having Christ as my savior God as a best friend. loving them and praying for them is the best thing that i can do.
btw…thank you, thank you very much(with upturned lip
Now that stuff gets me FIRED UP!!! Gator seems to be my spiritual twin! God bless him next Sunday. Tell him a part of Germany is proud of him!!
that’s what it’s all about right there…thanks for the encouragement and sharing what God is doing…for the first and last time i’m a Gator fan…
GO GATOR!!!!!!!!!!!
GO GATOR!
Great reminder. Jesus invaded my life in a jail cell while I was enroute to prison…I was reached by reading a book that introduced me to The Book which combined to introduce me to the Word of Life…I was 26, a stereotypical child of the sixties, Nam, drugs, crime…no concept of church/religion, much less christianity…wonder how many people wrote me off? Thankfully there is no felony sin nor misdemeanor sin…sin is sin…and the “sentence” is the same for the lie as for the murder…as is the grace and mercy.
@Jack Hager, Isn’t God cool like that!
my 6 yr old daughter was reading my rss roll w/ me when she saw the above pic she asked if you were brothers. of course i had to smile when i said ‘yes, brothers in Christ they are.’ she said ‘yes, but i mean were they brothers when they were little. i know their hair is different, but they look like brothers.’
(i promised myself no comments today cause i had a busy day, but just had to drop by to tell you that cause it was so cute!)
Just wonderful. I love that being the Body means we are all different and unique but have so many similarities in our utter need for Jesus. He always seems to level the playing field.
Hope he has a great baptism! Wish I could be there!
CH
I love your heart! Just love it!
Congrats to Gator! I will be praying for him!
Pete, what? No tattoos yet??
wow! so true. thanks for that one. BTW…I’m diggin’ the name Gator! Is that really his name?
What a wonderful testimony! Welcome to the family, Gator!
My wonderful pastor prayed for at least 3 hell’s angels to come to Christ and become involved in our church. And, within the same year, we got ‘em~ Joe, Dan, and Bob. It was awesome sitting w/ Bob during potluck a couple Sun. ago and listening to him share about his recent missions trip to the Ukraine. Now, we are praying for 25 more! God is sooooo amazing!!!
@Kristie, I’m still thinking about one. But just one.
That is awesome. I know Gator very well, and I am so excited that he has found Jesus’s love and the path of God. Gator is truly an amazing person.
Heard a sermon on this very issue 8 or 10 years ago about Crispus the synagogue leader who came to Christ in Corinth. The question my pastor posed, which I am reminded of today reading this post, is who is my Crispus? Thanks for the reminder.
That is cool. Very cool.
amazing! gator rocks!
ya know…i think mentally and emotionally i have written off my family in missouri. not literally…just in praying for them.
Thanks Pete. Thanks Gator. Really…we are all so different, but down deep, we are all the same. I am convinced of that fact…The longer I live here, the more I realize that there is nothing that separates us because we are all in need of a Savior. Today I am ministering to a lady who is on deaths door…she is the same as me. She is an African lady who has 3 kids…4 years ago I wouldn’t have had any idea she even existed and today?…today we are bringing her food and love. I hope that when I am dying people will be there to bring me “good news” and food for my kids. We are all the same. Evey single one of us. You, me, man, woman. So Please pray for us. I hope that she will be coherent and receive the Lord today if she hasn’t already.
Gator is the JAM! I was the person that no one thought (least of all ME) that God would / could show up.
I was saved in 2001 & got baptized last Summer w/ my hubs!
A good reminder for me to keep praying for those that seem untouchable…I KNOW they are…
That is awesome. I just poured out my heart to my church before I left for vacation about this very topic. I am much different in style of dress, haristyles, music prefference, etc than most of the members of my church. It seems as though many of them fear that I am going to try to make them like me. In return they react by trying to make me into what they imagine a pastor should be.
So I told them that although we may have a few superficial differences, that we all can find common ground at the foot of the cross. I asked them to follow along side of me and stay focused on the mission at hand, and begin to focus on those things that we have in common. The end result was that 90% of the church came forward to pray with me and join with me on this mission. I pray that this is the beginning to something great!
I truly appreciate the depth of concern in this post. It really shows that with God anything is possible. It shows that when we look beyond our differences and find common ground and allow God to be God, anything can happen. Thanks for this reminder.
I LOVE MY BUDDY GATOR!!!!!!! so so so so SO proud of him
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