Learning from the Unexpected

"A busy man who walks up to a precious flower and says: what for God's sake are you doing here? Can't you get busy someway? and then finds himself unable to understand the flower's response: I am so sorry, sir, but I am just here to be beautiful". How can we also come to this wisdom of the flower that being is more important that doing?"(H.Nouwen)

I am going to tell you the story of someone I just met and has blessed my life. I met Carl at my friend David's house. He was just another common guy of the many people I have met through others, until he came to one of the Posadas. In every posada we tried to choose someone who will characterized Joseph and Mary while we sing the "posadas' songs". Carl was chosen to represent Joseph. Most of the people really don't care what they are representing. Most of the people do it for the fun of it, but this was not the case of Carl. After everybody tried to sing, in a very out of tune melody, after the piñata was broken, after all the fellowship was gone; Carl called me because he wanted to talk to me. When Carl and I were alone, he bowed down to me and with reverence he handed me the clothing he used as a costume saying, "thank you for the honor you gave me when you asked me to characterized Joseph. When I was a child I used to to go church and I heard all the stories about Joseph and Mary, so being Joseph tonight has touched my heart and honor to represent hi". I really didn't know what to think about it because this was the first time someone has come to me with such a statement. Carl's response makes me think if I can also answer like the flower in the story I shared in the beginning that being is more important than doing. Carl's humility reminded me about the value of "being".......and as Isaac of Nineveh said "He who knows his sins is much greater that he who makes someone rise from the dead. He who can really cry one hour about himself is greater than he who teaches the whole world; he who knows his own weakness is greater than he who sees the angels"......by the way he has opened his house for next year posadas.....