Brush with Fame
Rarely in Abilene does one get the chance to have am honest-to-goodness brush with fame. Oh, sure. There are a few Abilene natives that have found fame. Bob Estes on the PGA Tour, Rizzo from M*A*S*H, Brandon Scott Thomas. But other than that, most celebrities are passing through.
I did, however, see a family at lunch today that had their 15 minute window of fame. Several years ago the story of the Jenkins family of Abilene gained national attention when that family (Caucasian)was in danger of losing an African-American son they had adopted. It seemed that some of the powers that be felt the child could not be raised in a culture different from his origin. There was quite an outcry over this situation. Oprah even featured them on her show more than once. All of the attention apparently turned the tide in their favor and this young man was sitting with them at lunch today, part of a family that by appearances seemed loving and warm.
Often we do not get to see the end of stories like this one. People's lives flash before us and keep moving in this fast-paced world. But in one case, we know the outcome of a story in which we are personally involved even though it is still in progress. We know that Jesus has won a battle for our collective eternity by defeating death on the cross. So despite any reunion shows or where-are-they-now? retrospectives we know our story before the curtain falls on our earthly lives. That's pretty cool.
I did, however, see a family at lunch today that had their 15 minute window of fame. Several years ago the story of the Jenkins family of Abilene gained national attention when that family (Caucasian)was in danger of losing an African-American son they had adopted. It seemed that some of the powers that be felt the child could not be raised in a culture different from his origin. There was quite an outcry over this situation. Oprah even featured them on her show more than once. All of the attention apparently turned the tide in their favor and this young man was sitting with them at lunch today, part of a family that by appearances seemed loving and warm.
Often we do not get to see the end of stories like this one. People's lives flash before us and keep moving in this fast-paced world. But in one case, we know the outcome of a story in which we are personally involved even though it is still in progress. We know that Jesus has won a battle for our collective eternity by defeating death on the cross. So despite any reunion shows or where-are-they-now? retrospectives we know our story before the curtain falls on our earthly lives. That's pretty cool.
2 Comments:
wow--I am up there with Bob and Rizzo! But the Jenkins family? They are the true celebrities. You'll never see them on Fear Factor.
Yes, the Jenkins are truly to be commended. Their love ushered them into an arena that pitted them against conventional wisdom. And it was that love that gave them the courage to meet that challenge.
It reminded me of another family, a missionary couple who, back in the fifties, adopted an African-American child while in France. After being on the field for several years, they wanted to return to their native Texas, but decided the risks to their daughter and family were too great. They made the decision to move to Canada where God used them once again as missionaries and didn't return home until their daughter was almost old enough to be on her own.
I always admired the depth of love they had for their daughter and how they were willing to commit to her, even though, in their case, it meant not being able to come back home.
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