Where Did That Come From???

Last March, I was on a mission trip up in New York City over Spring Break. One of the key areas we focused on was serving in after-school programs for underprivileged kids.

One of our first stops was an after-school program in Washington Heights up in northern Manhattan. As volunteers just there for the afternoon, the staff had each of us get up in front of the 50+ kids and say a few things about ourselves.

So when it was my turn, I grabbed the mic and went into “hype mode.” I started yelling and getting all turnt and even attempted some Michael Jackson-esque dance moves during a dance-off we had later.

Afterwards, one of my friends was like, “Caleb! Dude. I saw a different side of you come out up there!”

Then, a few months later, I was about to stand up and give a major presentation to Chick-fil-A’s corporate staff as part of my summer internship. Once again, when it was my turn to grab the mic… oopps I did it again. I stood up on one of the tables and was like “Alright everyone get on your feet and get fired up!!!”

My initial thought was, “well it’s been a good summer, but I’m probs done now.” What a story. Fired from my internship.

Thankfully, most people in the audience found it entertaining more than anything else. My fellow interns were all like, “Where in the world did that come from?!?!”

Now if you know me, I bet you would say I’m a pretty even-keel type of guy. Maybe even a little too serious at times, but mostly pretty chill and laid back.

Well, guess what? Sometimes I’m not. Sometimes I act like this guy (he’s a former Microsoft CEO!) Sometimes I pull a Hannah Montana and people learn something totally new about me. I’m not an undercover pop star (sorry to disappoint), but there’s things about me that only come out in certain environments. Like busting MJ moves and getting turnt on the mic.

I think the same is true for all of us. Everyone has a story much deeper than what we see above the surface. Like an iceberg. Or Stone Mountain. Most of it is hidden beneath. Both the good and the bad. Both joy and brokenness.

The problem I struggle with is that I rarely stop to read the stories of the people around me. In college, we get usually get the NMY (name, major, year) and then we’re off somewhere else.

I like how Dan Cathy puts it: “You can’t have an influence without a relationship.” To add to that great quote, I’d say you can’t have a relationship without learning their story.

So how do you learn the story? There’s the hard part right there. In the world of unlimited instant information from the internet, learning a person’s story takes the investment of our time and energy. I think it also most come from a heart posture of wanting to be with them for the sake of serving them…. The things we can give to others as opposed to the things we can get from others.

Andy Stanley says, “Do for one what you wish you could do for all.”

Why don’t we start by asking questions. Maybe something like, “What’s your story?”