All the World's a Stage...

...And all the men and women merely players: They have their exits and their entrances.

This little concept was brought to my attention by my rather wise Uncle Joe tonight at church. We were reading in Acts 23 about Paul's nephew who warned the commander of Roman centurions about a plan the Jews had concocted to ambush Paul and kill him on his way to visit Felix. It saved Paul's life.

Now we never really talk about this story. Pretty sure I couldn't have won Bible Trivia about Paul's family members. Who even knew he had a sister AND a nephew. And on top of that...his nephew SAVED his life!! Paul's five-day trial with Felix is well known, but how he got there gets little attention.

Joe made a point of saying that there are people who are small characters in our lives but end up impacting us hugely and playing a larger role in the bigger picture of our lives. And vice-versa, we have no idea when that one random conversation with that woman on the bus could be the very thing that causes her to give up doing drugs and to turn her life around. That one smile and encouraging word to the sullen looking kid could be the reminder he needs that there is life and happiness and hope in this world.

So I thought over some people who played brief and "insignificant" roles in my life (some of these people i may not even know personally!) that ended up impacting me farther down the road.

• Mrs. Arai: She was my 6th grade writing teacher. My very first outside class as a homeschooler. Looking back now, I did not learn a whole lot of writing from her, and the only vocabulary word I remember learning to spell was "Pedestrian." But that woman loved WWII and Jewish History around that time. we watched movies, read books, did research and went to the Museum of Tolerance. This led to my love of this period in history. My friend, Kaeli can attest that i have read dozens of books and seen numerous movies on this subject.
  
• Joy, Ayodele and Akili: This single mom and her kids homeschooled with us and came over to play all the time. They were African-American and Joy was blind. I learned at that time in my life that people that are different than us (either color or "disability") are people just the same. And I also learned that someone who is blind does not need to be debilitated by their blindness. Joy was one of the most (excuse the cliche) joyful people I knew. She had her share of difficulty in her life, but she loved God and raised her children with strength, and the disadvantage of no sight.
  
• Ernie: A regular every morning at the Mimi's I worked at in Monrovia. He always came in at the same time and sat in the same spot at the counter and ate oatmeal. every morning. He also was an alcoholic who had not sipped alcohol in years. he was active in AA and was well known in those circles. he traveled around speaking and leading groups. He was such an amazing example of what God can do in a broken life, and he lived his testimony out, and continued changing lives.
  
• Anglin Brothers et. al: When I read about their escape attempt from Alcatraz in 1962, I was blown away by their genius idea to create dummy heads molded from soap shavings and covered in hair from the prison barber. It was their particular escape attempt that drew me to the world of crime and the minds of criminals. I can say that I am in the field I'm in today significantly in part to these men.
  
• Leonard: Ok. he was on a video. But he was my Algebra/Geometry teacher through homeschool years. I learned FOIL (first, outside, inside, last-algebraic term). Never underestimate the usefulness of FOIL in life to come. Just Sayin' =P
  
• Mrs. Reinebach: i spent (well, my mom spent) a substantial amount of money for me to take piano lessons from this woman at a local university. She was intense. And a college professor. I was around 15 or 16. She would open the hymn book we use at church and point to songs I'd never heard of before and tell me to sight read. then write chords for them. then transpose them into different keys. she made me cry almost every week. but she taught me all I know about chords, which is pretty much all I play for piano now. She taught me to know my piano keyboard so well I could make up music in any key.
  
• Noe: This hardworking man left his family behind in Mexico so he could come to California to make money to send to them. some would call it abandonment...we all knew it was love. he had worn pictures of his wife, son and daughter who he talked about all the time. he worked for my dad and was at our house frequently. he taught me that you sacrifice comfort for the well-being of the people you care about. he taught me that the best carnitas in the world are made in a copper pot over a fire in the back yard with a whole pig, pounds of lard, oranges and salt. he taught me that to learn another language, culture and lifestyle you just dive in head-first and always keep a smile on your face when the odds are stacked against you.
  
• Murphy: transferred to his World Religions class half-way through my senior year of high school. he was so cool, but so down to earth. he made God seem real and reachable. he cared fiercely for the people around him. he could poke good-natured fun but always held us in the highest respect when we deserved it, even though we were just high school kids. He had my back when I made a bold move and stood up for myself and many kids scoffed and shunned me. He told me, "Suz don't ever let someone disrespect you, especially men. and don't give up hope...God has got something amazing for you down the road. stay close to Him."
  
• Max: penned the words from a book that have helped me understand how God views me: the more you trust my love the more their opinions of you won't matter. You are special because I made you...and I don't make mistakes. (You are Special). This has become a catch-phrase that I repeat in my mind when I feel as though I must have been made with a defect. I cannot tell you how many dark holes I was saved from slipping into because of this promise that Max shared through his writing.
  
• Ozzy: He mocked me. He ridiculed me. He made me cry. And he enjoyed it. But this man who had ice-blue eyes and a biting tongue taught me invaluable lessons about myself. I became confident in who I was and where I had come from. I have the choice to decide who to hand the power over to. The power to define who I am as a person. Ozzy or God. I used to choose Ozzy...and it devastated me. Now I choose God...and it has strengthened me. So...thanks Oz.
• Mr. DeSpain: This man is old. Really old. He and his wife were regulars at the Mimi's I worked at in Downey. They were picky. They were fussy. But I loved them. Mr. DeSpain was a WWII survivor (probably another reason why I liked him). (proves even grouchy people have a story we may not know). He would bring pictures of his time in Europe and tell stories of the horrors of war. He would tear up and get a far-away look in his eye. I learned that no matter what a man does (kill, fight, march, leave his family for an unknown amount of time) and no matter how jaded he gets in order to self-preserve...there is a scared, emotional, broken piece of him inside...even if deeply buried. Then I learned how God and a faithful, loving spouse can heal a lot of hurts. I may never see Mr. DeSpain again in this life. But I know I will see him in heaven. And until then, he gave me some Peruvian Daffodil bulbs that bloom beautifully to remind me of him.
  

These are just a few of the many interactions I've had over my life that have seemed like small players but have left a lasting impression/impact. Remember at any given time and place, you could be that person for someone else. You never know how your words and actions could make an impression on someone. Something I need to keep in mind is that this works with both positive and negative. I didn't mention those negative impressions/impacts but there are plenty of those too.

Be the person who bring the Fruits of the Spirit wherever you go...touching lives, bringing life. (for those of you who might need a refresher course, the Fruits are: Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Meekness, Gentleness and Self Control.)

P.S. I also want to mention other people who played a larger role in my life and impacted me significantly: Mrs. Buswell (piano teacher), Sue (Sunday School Teacher), Mrs. Wilcox (Biology teacher), Mr. Cruthers (US History/economics teacher), Mrs. Lane (English/Speech teacher), Sheri (dear friend/teacher), Matt (Bible Prof) and Miss G (Soc. prof/friend). I'm sure there are many more...these are just some that have meant a lot to me over the years.