At first blush it seems Alex was two different people. After
all, he lived in two different worlds. He was a hockey player, coach, and
mentor in his day-to-day. Sunday mornings, he would be at church, working with
the AV team. His church family knew he played hockey, but didn’t' know his
hockey family. And his hockey family may have known he went to church and was a
Christian, but they had never encountered his church family.
When the two worlds met on Saturday to remember and reflect,
it was clear Alex did not lead a double life. Everyone spoke of his smile, his
humor, and his encouraging words. Indubitably, he was close enough to
perfection on earth that the finishing touches were ready to be applied in
heaven.
That's the thing about genuine people. They are the same no
matter where they are or who they're with. Hockey families and church folk
alike knew who Alex was.
Fake people are not so. They lead double lives, hiding truth
and walking deceitfully. The contradictions in character can be so strong there
is confusion about who the person is.
Psalm 1 verses 1 - 4 comes to mind:
Blessed
is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path
of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; but his delight is in the law
of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night.
He
shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its
fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does
shall prosper.
The
ungodly are not so, but are like the chaff which the wind drives away.
A genuine person is like a well-nourished tree, providing
sustenance and shade, supporting others and living well.
A fake person is like chaff, the inedible part of a grain
that's not worth eating and takes too much energy to turn into bio-fuel*. No
shade, no sustenance. Nothing.
Alex was genuine. He is, and will always be, missed.
*I don't
know that chaff can' be turned into bio-fuel without leaving a heavy carbon
footprint. Holler if you know
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