Grace is simply not getting shot!

Our move to Southeast Texas has been exciting and rewarding so far (well, at least most days!). We are making new friends that are our age, we are getting plugged into ministries that are a real fit for our gifts and graces, and we are enjoying being within 5-10 minutes of all of the features that larger cities offer young adults (sushi, movie theaters, etc).

I am serving two churches on opposite sides of a freeway and from very different worlds. Well, yesterday I was doing what a lot of preachers do with small congregations...I was visiting from house to house with members and their families. It is something that I have done for years.

That is when my life got extremely interesting for a brief moment. I pulled into a driveway, parked, got out of my vehicle and knocked on the door. To my surprise, the home owner opened the door and greeted me with a drawn pistol held to his eye level and pointed directly at my upper torso/head. By the grace of God, I managed to say "hey man, what's happening?" The home owner recognized me, lowered the pistol, set it down somewhere inside and joined me on the porch for a conversation.

Now, this particular neighborhood is not overly rough, but it is changing daily. To the south and west of the neighborhood there are considerably rougher areas, so I was a little surprised at this greeting. We talked for a bit and I discovered that this individual had had some troubles with some locals in the area.

This was not my first encounter with folks carrying...after all, I haven't always been a preacher. But it never occurred to me that pastors should have full body armor as a part of their vestments.

Anyway, I hope that Mr. X gets a peephole in his front door in the near future! In the mean time, I am reveling in the grace that for me today was the simple fact that I didn't get shot!