Seeing Through Different Eyes | Previous Challenge Entry

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TITLE: Seeing Through Different Eyes | Previous Challenge Entry
By Ken Grant
02/27/20
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Her name was Beth and she was unlike any girl that I had ever met. She was just so unpredictable. You never knew what she was going to say or do. It wasn't particularly intentional, it was just the way that God had wired her. I most likely never would have encountered a girl like her, nor given her the time of day, but we attended the same church and over time an attraction grew. It made little sense. I was conservative. I was predictable. I had my stuff together. Yet, I was drawn to this girl like none other. She added something to my life that was lacking. She provided a breath of fresh air to a life that was mostly stuffy.

Our church was conservative in all the bad ways. While the talk was of God's grace and mercy, many of the people, particularly those in positions of power, were quick to be critical of anybody who acted in any way that was unique or out of the box. There was a clear expectation of how to live and anyone who didn't toe the line was quickly brought to bear. Even though I was good at following the rules, I was not exempt from being called out for not living up to expectations. Once my friend and I were berated for not knowing how to charge a battery even though neither of us had a driver's license. We both felt small, but we also felt worse for the man who clearly made himself feel better by berating us.

For some reason Beth flourished in this environment. Maybe it was because she needed the structure in order to be her best. Still, she stood out. She always stood out. Life with her was never boring. Eventually I did get that driver's license, but at first Beth did the driving. Details were not her thing and one day as she was driving the car stalled out. It took a while, but we finally determined that the car was out of gas. I helped push the car to a gas station only to find out that this was one of many times that she had run out of gas. It just wasn't important enough for her to check. After that, I did the checking and we never ran out of gas together.

After a while, Beth and I were nearly inseparable. We made no sense and I know we got a lot of looks at church, but I honestly didn't care. Being with her filled a void and made me a better person. She taught me that there are many ways of being human and that following the rules is not the best way to please God or live out His calling. I did things with Beth and saw things with her that I never would have on my own and for that I am forever grateful. I didn't marry Beth. She moved on and I lost track of her. But I am forever grateful for her unique spirit that gave me such a special view of God's good world.

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