Everybody, Always

described it, it was as grand as any castle in England—no doubt with a
moat, a couple of drawbridges, and horsemen. Yes, lots of horsemen.
Patricia was traveling up from Mexico City, where she had been staying
with their grown children, to see the house for the first time. He had
warned her in advance the house was tiny, but he couldn’t wait for her to
see it. There was a twinkle in his eye when he spoke. No mansion would
have a prouder owner.
As the line moved, we shouted over other people’s heads to stretch
our three minutes into four or five. Adrian had to jump as he shouted out
the last details over the heads of two bald guys. He was bursting with
pride. “I’m getting the house! I’m getting the house!” he shouted with his
small arms waving over his head. I waved my arms over my head too.
Someone in the line cheered for him. The person standing next in line in
front of him gave him a hug. Love and unbridled anticipation are
contagious in this way.
Over the course of the next several dozen trips through the airport, I
learned Patricia loved the house, Adrian had purchased it, and Patricia
was on her way to move in. He beamed as he talked about what he’d
accomplished. I was so proud of him. I felt like I was getting a house too.
What I liked about Adrian the most was he knew who he was. I also
was struck by how authentic he was with his growing faith. Humble
people don’t fall for the lies pride tries to entice us with to fake it. After a
particularly bad day, God’s first words in the garden to Adam and Eve
were simple ones: “Where are you?” It’s the first post-screwup
conversation between God and the first family. God, of course, wasn’t
talking about geography when He asked the question, and He’s not asking
us about it now either. He hadn’t lost track of the ones He had created and
He hasn’t lost track of you and me. Instead, I think God wanted Adam
and Eve to figure out where they were with Him after they’d failed. He’s
never stopped asking us the very same question: “Where are you?” To
figure out where we are we need to understand who we are. It’s the
question Adrian asked thousands of people every day: “Who are you?”