A Well Near the Hebron Cafe

The last fourteen miles had seemed like a dream--moving along at 14 to 20 mph.   Pretty heady when you're loaded to the gills and been pedaling for over forty miles.  We curved off I-94 and down a two-mile runway that opened to an isolated town called Hebron.   Rick and I surveyed the land for two things--a diner and a cool, avant garde, wifi-accessible espresso bar.  We settled for one out of two and sat down for lunch.

That's when Mark, the local crazy guy on a bike blindsided us with a shower of excitement and childlike wonder at our machines.  He looked a little goofy and clownish and drooled some when he talked too fast.  And he had the world's largest tooth gap framed by fangs on either side.  He proudy showcased his own version of a recumbent--a homemade tadpole trike.  "I'm an engineer, and I have my own shop around back.  I got French-made bikes and Schwinns and old vintage bikes."

Our food had arrived so we applauded and praised Mark's cool trike then went back into the diner.  But he wasn't done.  Like a faithful dog, Mark waited outside until we came out.  And then he began talking non-stop.   "Yeah, I moved here from Mott in January and so I have this bike shop."

What bothered me about Mark was that there had been no mention of family or friends in his life.  So I took a risk.  "Hey, Mark, do you have a family nearby?"  Mark squinnied his face into serious wrinkles.  "My mom died in January.  Me and her was really close.  And she was dead in three days.  We ran a thrift shop together and then she died."

The pastor in me took over and I probed a bit more and offered my condolences.  I thought he was going to cry and sob right there in front of the diner.  I could only listen and speak a bit of hope into Mark.  But I did connect Mark with the pastor in whose church we were staying in.

I think a lot of folks look at the Marks of this world as being a nusiance, too much to be bothered with.   Or maybe off-putting because of their appearance.  Not always, but sometimes it takes a simple gift of an ear to listen, and then to offer a short prayer on their behalf.

May God gift you with a toothy, energetic, even eccentric soul that you can begin to see through Jesus eyes and heaven's love, a human being who has value and worth though mixed with pain.