It's A Sign

My cell phone went off around 4:25 a.m. last Friday. Miraculously, I actually heard it. Truth be told, I think that the first call stirred me a little and it was the beeping of a new text message that finally raised me from a dead sleep.

The missed call and the text message were both from Priscilla Kwan, a friend of mine who is a reporter with KPRC Channel 2. She needed me to give her a call ASAP regarding an "accident" at HFBC. Not knowing what to expect -- and somewhat fearing the details -- I gave her a call.

Priscilla explained that a pick-'em-up truck had slammed into the "Houston's First Baptist Church" sign at the base of the tower along the I-10 feeder road. She asked if I could come up there for a live interview. I was to be the "spokesperson" for the church.

Now, I'm not sure if she tells all of her interviewees this when she wakes them up and summons them to the scene in the wee hours of the morning, but Priscilla specifically said, "Don't take a shower. Just comb your hair and come!"

Uh ... right.

So as the minutes ticked by -- closer and closer to the live 5:00 a.m. broadcast -- I frantically began to get ready for my first public statement on behalf of HFBC. My first project was my hair. Even if my head were small enough to wear a hat, I'm not sure that would have been the look I would've gone with. Instead, I stuck my head in the shower to wet down the Einsteinian morning mess and then towel-dried the life out of it. Just slap on some product and the hair project was set.

My second project was my clothes. The first couple of shirts that caught my eye had horizontal stripes. With God's mercy, I had the presence of mind to calculate the impact of horizontal stripes in front of a camera notorious for adding 10 pounds. Tragedy averted. Then, my eyes fell on my 2005 Houston Project t-shirt ("pray for more") and the clothing project was concluded.

My third project was to notify friends and family. Driving through Memorial Park, I managed to text friends (or at least the ones spiritually mature enough to forgive me for a pre-5:00 a.m. message) and asked for their prayers. (Thanks to those who replied!) Then, I called Mom and Dad. I hate calling the folks at odd hours because I know that from the time they hear the first ring until the time I can explain that I am not dead, every conceivable horrific scenario goes through their minds. Bless their hearts (literally).

It was an eerie sight when I arrived at HFBC only 28 minutes after getting the call. There in the pre-dawn fog and unflattering street lights were Priscilla, Steve (the camera guy) and a pile of shattered bricks. The cops, ambulance, tow-truck and suspect had already cleared the scene. Priscilla was told that the driver of the truck suffered only "bumps and bruises" -- no serious injuries at all. Police suspect alcohol may have been involved. Please lift up this unnamed man in a prayer.

We did a live segment a little after 5:00 a.m. and then did combo live/pre-recorded segments at 5:30, 6:00 and 6:30 a.m. You can see one of the segments on the Channel 2 website.

Since I started working at HFBC in early February, I have slowly been getting my office set up and arranged. Friday morning provided me with unique and unexpected decorations. On the top of my desk's hutch, I now have mementos from my first "crisis" at work -- portions of the brick wall and the large letter H. It's a sign of a special moment in my new career here. More importantly, it's a sign that the church is more than the bricks around us. The Lord's work keeps on going!