A bi-annual event held in Orlando, Florida where buyers get advanced screenings of clothing & hard goods that will be available from major manufacturers for the next season.
"I had the pleasure of attending Expo this year with Dean and the guys from Christian Surfers. While pretty much everyone milling around the cavernous space was either there to show off wares or purchase said wares our place in the chaos was obscure at best. We were there to serve the masses. To be a flickering beacon of light in a, well lit, dark place. We were there to present Jesus relationally.
My crew made the drive from Panama City and I had in tow two of my sr. high surfers who I prayed would be mature enough to handle what the expo had to throw out. Upon arrival we said "what's up" to the fellas and sat down, unsure of what we were supposed to be doing. At some point that afternoon we were given a verse and asked to keep our verse in mind as we walked the Expo floor. The first day came and went and I was unsure if our presence made any kind of dent in the darkness . Then came Day Two.
Part of how we served at Expo was by passing out coffee and donuts to the vendors about an hour before the doors opened each morning. Most people think there is a catch while some just devour the offerings in the hopes that it will cure the wicked hangovers they were experiencing. We doughnut bombed the whole place, we smiled at people, we were courteous, but halfway through Day Two I still wasn't personally sure that CS being there mattered much. I wondered if anyone would leave after the extended weekend asking themselves life changing questions, frankly I wasn't sure.
Then I met Adam.
Adam was our rickshaw driver and he showed up, in the pouring rain, even when every other soul at the Expo had left for the evening. Carrying all my photo gear through the rain was the last thing I wanted to do, so I guess you could call Adam my guardian angel. We jumped in his man powered taxi and took off toward our cars, holding an umbrella aloft above our heads as Adam got soaked pedaling frantically in front of us.
About halfway through our mini journey the conversation turned from chit chat to things of a more serious nature when Adam confided in us that his wife had recently left him for another woman. He was pretty upset about the whole situation as anyone would be. We listened, allowing him to spill his story, not knowing if we were the first people to actually listen. When we arrived at our vehicles Adam shared with us that his estranged wife had texted him the day before. He said this was huge because they both had indictments against each other and there was to be no communication or else the communicator could be arrested. I shared that I believe that God has a plan for Adam and that I also believe in second chances. Then Adam told us that just three days earlier he had called out to God for the first time. We ended up praying with Adam, his hand gripped in mine and we asked that God would reveal Himself to Adam as well as his wife. When we were done we exchanged numbers and we went on our way.
I don't know where Adam is tonight, but I have been praying for him ever since we left Orlando. I don't know if our conversation struck a nerve with Adam or not, but I know that when God told us to reach out to this young man and we obeyed, He was faithful and was at work in that moment. Adam could have easily told us to take a hike, but he didn't.
He stood in the pouring rain with two dudes he had never met embracing them in the hopes that they had something that could stop the pain.
This first experience reminded me that it is my duty to be faithful when God calls me to speak to one of my fellow humans. It's not my job to question, it's just my job to obey. You never know when God will have already been working in someone's heart and He simply needs you to be His hands and feet."
- Dustin Bryson