That’s Dusty Harris, me and Nathan Smith.

Look at those guys.  Look closely.  Do they look special?  Not special but special.  Do they look like they have something (something non-viral) you and I don’t?

If I had to reduce everything I sing and speak and write about into one bumper sticker type phrase it would be this: We exist to know God and to make Him known.  All of us.  Not just those of us who tested well in high school or those of us who have read Good to Great and mastered the Seven Habits of Highly Effective People.  All of us.  Even me and you…and those guys.

Those guys, as normal (relatively speaking) as they appear to be, are doing extraordinary work.  They are what I believe come to life.  They’re twenty.  They were mentored by a man I met tonight named Mike.  And when they, two non-skateboarders, had the idea to create a program of services, shows and facilities for skateboarding kids and their friends Mike said go for it.

Tonight, a year later, these disciples who are making disciples, put on a concert to celebrate what’d already been accomplished and to generate support for phase two: the Peculiar Path building, a combo skate park, counseling center, youth hot spot.  And I think they’ll make it happen.

I wish every cynic of the Church could travel with me and meet the inspirations I get to meet.  The girl who left home to work at an orphanage in Ecuador.  The addict who leads a recovery support group now.  The guy who’s building houses for the poor in Mexico every Summer.  The student who leaves sandwiches and blankets on the dumpsters in her town every winter for the homeless to have.  The doctor who sees 2% of his patients for no charge and pushes his colleagues to do the same.  And Nathan and Dusty, two twenty year-old, slightly off guys who are changing skater kids’ lives for the better and rallying their community to help them out.

This is what I believe come to life.  And meeting these guys keeps me believing.

For more info on their infant ministry check out peculiarpath.org or call them to figure out how you can do something like this in your neighborhood: 580.280.1679 If you’d like to make any kind of donation I’m sure they’d take that too.