At best, it was awkward.
Many years ago, I was on a business trip in Denver. I don’t exactly recall what the trip was all about.
My meetings got done late and I was hungry. I opted to go to a chain restaurant very close to my hotel so I could eat quickly and get back to bed.
Weather wise, it was not a very nice night.
As I pulled into the parking lot there were literally no cars in front of the restaurant. It must be closed I thought to myself.
As I entered, I was greeted by the greeter, I was going to say hostess but that is probably not politically correct.
I asked if they were open and she assured me they were. She thought the weather was a factor in their poor attendance for the evening.
The server quickly greeted me as he simply had nothing else to do. He was very attentive throughout the evening as no one else entered until I was getting ready to leave.
I ordered my meal and began to sip on my beverage and ponder my day or whatever we did while we waited before cell phones.
After a couple of minutes I noticed a young man come out a side door carrying a guitar. I hadn’t noticed it before but there was a little stage with a microphone set up and he quietly walked on stage.
He had been hired to play for the evening and even though I was the only patron at that point he was going to play, just for me.
After he sang his first song he said something like this, “Thank you for coming out tonight. It’s great to have you here. I’ll be playing three sets tonight, each about half an hour long. If you have any requests I’d love to play them for you,” as he stared right at me because he had no where else to look.
He launched into his next number.
I wondered if I was on Candid Camera. It had that feel to it.
After that second song he struck up a conversation with me asking me what brought me out on such a nasty night and a couple of other benign questions. Then, next song.
If he’d have had his druthers I’m sure he would have loved for the restaurant to be full. It wasn’t. He played just for me and I enjoyed it.
He sang to the one.
This story took place in 1980 or ’81. It came back to me about five years ago as I was starting out in my speaking business.
Someone had asked me to speak at an event they were having. As so many of my gigs were back then it was for free, to get some exposure and work on my message.
I was told there would be twenty to thirty people in attendance.
Similar to that night in Denver, the weather was not very good. Four people showed up.
To say I was frustrated and disappointed would be an understatement.
Maybe we should just cancel it and I’ll come back another time when more people will get a chance to hear my great message I said to the person who brought me to speak that night.
He said he knew it wasn’t ideal but let’s just go ahead and do it anyway.
Okay, I said with very little enthusiasm.
In my disappointment, I started out a little slow but got into the groove fairly early on.
It was a bit awkward speaking to such a small group.
When I was done I started to put away my things and one of the four came up to me and thank me for what I had to share on fear and courage. She started to cry as she told me how my message had impacted her and that what I said was exactly what she needed to hear.
Without my knowing it I spoke to the one that evening. Even if the room had been full that night maybe she was the only one who needed to hear what I had to say.
My mind went back about thirty years to when that young man sang to the one, me.
That night, I recognized that when I speak I need to speak to the one.
Wanting to speak to large groups is great but that is all about me and that is simply selfish.
It takes courage to look at our motivations for why we do what we do. That night taught me that my motivation wasn’t always pure and I needed to change that.
After that night, I began to pray before each of my presentations about speaking to the one, the one that needs to hear what I have to say.
As we approach Christmas in just a few days remember the One that came for you and for me.
If there had only been one person on earth, if there had only been you or only been me, the One would have still come to be born as a human and die on the cross.
He came for all but he would have come for just one, you or me.
Merry Christmas!
Luke 2:1-21
Have a STRONG and COURAGEOUS day!
Sometimes it takes more courage to speak to just one person than it does to speak to a large audience.
WOW, so powerful, yet on point. You remind us all that He who came, came for one and all. It seems fitting that we remember that during a season that has taken on a retail sense that we come to the real reason for the Season. God Blessed us All…..
Thank you, Craig! Sorry for the delay in getting back to you. I hope you had a very blessed Christmas and that 2017 is off to a great start for you!