Gas Station

This is the account of what I experienced before we left Chicago for Ann Arbor:

It was around ten o'clock, and all of us were exhausted, yet refilled and refreshed by a taste of Chicago. We stopped by a gas station to two opposite things: fill up our gas tanks but relieve our bladders, done as a fresh start to a four hour trip back to Ann Arbor. It was just like any other trip. The gas station was dimly lit, kinda cold, and the three cars that started clean were now cluttered with snack wrappers and water bottles. Just the same old pattern that reoccurs each time a person travels. But it became different when we walked in and got some free Dunkin Donuts.

It was late, and Dunkin was closing, so the guy behind the counter decided to give out the rest of the donuts. I wasn't particularly excited cause I was nasty full from the Gino East's Deep Dish Pizza we had earlier, but the rest of the group was almost jumping up and down. So as they scurried about sharing the good news, I went about my own business, looking for the cheapest water I could get. I grabbed one and walked out of the store, in thought that the drivers might want some too, only to realize I had walked out of the store with an unpaid water in my hand. So as I quickly acknowledged each of the driver's responses, I shot back into the store, cracking up a little at my small mistake. That's when God decided to open my eyes and shock my spiritual being.

As I was walking in, I was expecting some sort of store manager to rush into my face and scold me for stealing. But instead, as I looked around, I saw a guy in a blue coat and black pants beckon me over while mouthing some words which were inaudible. I turned around thinking that he was beckoning someone else behind me, only to see nobody. So I turned back around to question his sense of direction by pointing at myself and curiously asking "me?" He nodded, so I walked over without any kind of hesitation for some reason. I was not scared, I was not worried, there was no second thought. I just simply walked over by God's Grace.

This is the conversation that ensued (or to the best of my memory):

Blue Coat: "Hey man, how do you do it?"

Me: "Sorry? Do what?"

Blue Coat: "What is that you guys do man? How can you be so happy? It's gotta be taichi man. Is that what you Chinese people do? Walk in like that all cool and stuff. I feel so much positive energy!" (HAHA that's literally what he said. i thought it was hilarious while i reflected upon it)

Me: "Oh..what's going on man? You doin' alright?"

Blue Coat: "Man, i've just been feeling a little down lately. There's been a lot of negative energy"

Me: "Oh, how come?"

Me: "By the way, what's your name?"

Blue Coat: "Chris"

Me: "My name's Kevin, nice to meet you, but yea, how come man? What's going on?"

Chris: "Man, this world is so dark. I try to be the nice guy, but it seems like the stuff that I did before I started to try to be nice is coming back to get me. People take advantage of me, and I'm having a hard time trying to keep at being the nice guy."

Me: "Oh man, yea i know exactly what you mean!"

Chris: "Bro yea, but how do you deal with that? how do you not got torn by all these things? Is it taichi? Those monks in China seriously. Every time I see them, they seem so calm, so able to conquer the world, but yet I sit here not knowing what to do. I want to be just like that. I want to be the calm man that makes this world go round. The nice guy."

Me: "(By God's Grace) Oh well, I believe in a God and I go to church."

Chris: "Actually, I do too, but that can't be it. It's gotta be taichi"

Me: "Have you tried praying?"

Chris: "No, it's gotta be Taichi, look at them monks!"

Me: "Oh yea, those monks are so peaceful no matter the circumstance, but man, let me humbly ask you this. Where do you place your confidence?"
Chris: "Well...it's definitely not my looks..uh..i'm not too sure"

Me: "Is it by how others treat you and how others perceive you?"

Chris: "Yea! that must be it"

Me: "Dude...man I walked through the same exact thing, and..."

Chris: "Poor guy"

Me: "sorry...?"

Chris: "Oh, as in poor guy you had to walk through that"

Me: "Oh..yea you too man. But let me tell you this. This is what we believe in."

Me: "We believe that God is all powerful and all perfect. So we worship him, and in worshipping him, we place our confidence within Him, so no matter the circumstance, we can always walk upright or call out to the perfect Creator for help through prayer, and we know He will always answer us. And by that, our confidence never wavers. So no matter what people perceive of us or does to us, we understand that God is there to help us and walk us through the storm. Prayer is our communication to God, and we do that a lot to keep us tuned with the perfection that He is. So I would say that you should try praying. It's almost like meditation, except you are speaking to someone that knows exactly what you need and exactly what you feel and He sorts your thoughts through and lifts you back up. "

Chris: "Oh! I'm actually a philosophy major, and so I've done meditation, but I've never imagined it as talking to someone. Man, I'll definitely try that"

Me: "Hey man, sorry I gotta go, but can I pray for you?"

Chris: "Yea, sure"

...Prayer time...with some of Chris's shaking here and there...Holy Spirit! WHOO!

Chris: "Thanks a lot man. I really appreciate this."

Me: "hey, so I was thinking if we could exchange numbers to keep each other in light of positive energy?"

Chris: "Oh, I actually dont' have a phone number right now, but when I do get access to one, I'll give you call. Could you write down your number for me?"

Me: "Sure. Here you go. Give me a call man! Keep it up! See ya"

Chris: "For sure! you too! later"

Then, we left. And on the car, a wonderful discussion God's glory followed.

Chicago was such a great blessing, and especially to have God end it on such a glorious note was just purely wonderful. Blessed by such an opportunity, G-series step three! GOOOOOO!!!

God has humbled me. I love Chicago. I love G-series. I love God. Let's spread the good news!