“Fall forward in faith” – one of my pastor’s favorite sayings – echoed in my head as the young lady in front of me started veering off topic during our 30-minute meeting.
I was teaching a doctoral methods class and met with each student in the first couple of weeks to customize their final project.
This particular “planning” meeting shifted quickly to a “life story” kind of meeting. I half-listened and half-wondered how to bring the conversation back on topic. Then I felt the Holy Spirit whispering.
Mild Psychedelics and a Guru
I tried to push aside my other thoughts and really pay attention. The story meandered from what motivated her to start a PhD program, to an anticipated engagement proposal, to the abrupt and surprising end of that relationship, to a hot yoga retreat in South America where mild psychedelics and a guru were somehow connected, to a sudden and unexpected understanding that Christ Jesus was really real.
Quite surprised, I perked up at that detail. I wondered, was this her Christian testimony? Did she know I was a believer? Maybe that was why the Holy Spirit reminded me to focus. I was pulled from my musing with a calendar notification that I had to be somewhere in ten minutes.
Pressing Demands
On the one hand, I wanted to be responsive to the Sprit. On the other, I had a litany of pressing demands and listening to a life story wasn’t going to get them accomplished, at least not efficiently.
Probably a little too task-oriented (I’m not known widely for my empathy), I interrupted her story to say something like “I really appreciate you sharing this with me. It sounds like you’ve had a surprising journey. I am a Christian so hearing the part of your story about Jesus is fascinating to me.”
Join My Family for Dinner?
“I’d love to hear more. But we are well beyond the scope of the class at this point. So, would you be interested in joining me and my family for dinner? I’d like to introduce you to my wife and hear more of your story. But for now, we really do need to focus on the final assignment. How does that sound to you?”
Though pretty minor, it felt like a small step of obedience.
Faithful falling, maybe. Ultimately, the student agreed to visit our home. We wrapped up the meeting, and scheduled the visit via email.
An Ear toward Heaven
After a nice dinner with our family and after we sent the kids to bed, she shared a much more detailed, two-hour version of her story. My wife (who is known for her empathy) expressed appropriate surprise, comfort, and joy at all the right moments.
Moving forward, I’m trying to heed my pastor’s advice and give an ear toward heaven in the midst of my interactions on campus. God only knows when someone else needs a listening ear or an invitation to share their story. There may be others just waiting for me – for us – to take the next small step (or stumble) forward in faith.
