Thursday, November 12, 2009

I can recongnize it too

I see that everywhere
Genesis 3

The assignment is to recognize religion outside of its typical context. I personally see religion everywhere. I live and breath God these days. My life is going so well. I have so much to do I can't actually do it all, at least that's what I think. Until I just give up and do the best I can and put my trust in God. God isn't Jesus to me. I'm Jesus to me. To me Jesus was a man that could make others understand that they are themselves "God". Understanding that there is more to life then what’s visible, tangible, believable. Jesus it that to me. I recognize that if you look around us there is no way in hell that we would have such a great world to live in. I recognize that because God teaches us through our lives. That is if we can keep our minds open.
The other day I was up working my ass off trying to get my school work finished and my photos uploaded. After counting all the dates I did photo shoots I realized I was working my ass off for a very small sum of money. I got discouraged because the whole time I've been working I had this feeling like I was on the right path. That feeling comes from my inside. That feeling has nothing to do with money, but it has to do with my happiness. God wants me to be happy right? Well then why was I not making enough cash to feel comfortable as a father that contributes enough to his child's life. I was upset, but literally in that instant, the minute my thoughts were going astray I received a phone call, "Is this Itsyourphoto?" a voice with a unique accent asked on the other line, I said "yes". Then the voice asked "do you do head shots?" I said "yes". I got work the instant I asked for it. Now it might have been coincidence but I think God knows what I'm doing. I think he knows I'm trying to follow my own path that was created for me by him or her whatever. Yeah it's just a coincidence right. Well that picture is being published as a poster. That does it for me "thanks God".
Now I have another story, when I started driving the cab I lived in Banff, I was a drug addict and I loved to want to die (I thought). Well I drove hundred of fares in Banff. Many became regulars. Lots of the locals (really just transients living in Banff for the fun of it) liked to call me up special because I was one of the best drivers in the universe. Well one used me as an Alibi. On a Saturday morning I was called up by a RCMP officer who asked if he could come talk to me about a ride I was reported to have given. Right away I knew that whoever said I drove them, lied. I wasn't working that night. I asked the RCMP officer who it was, Matt ....... I knew the guy, I asked him what he was accused of. The officer took a deep breath and said "break and enter and Rape." I gasped. I remember the kid vividly, he was from St. Albert, we actually talked several times about people we grew up with.(I was raised in ST. Albert.) Well I thought that sucked, the rape was talked about all around town, I guess the women was severely beaten and was also very traumatized. Scary! Well my girlfriend got pregnant a few weeks later and I moved back to Edmonton and became a cabby here. I cleaned up my act to be a father. I was ridding the streets in a different state of mind. I was not just a neutral force in the world I was a good guy. I was here to raise a sun. Two months into the Edmonton taxi career I had a flag, 107 ave and 115st. Bad hood. Lots of hookers, but I was still new. I was still very open minded about all people. I had just sobered up, I was a fearless good guy who believed in God. Well I pulled over for the two. They both got in, I could smell the prostitute. I could smell pimp and crack head too. I let them in and asked "where to?" the greasy women said "turn around." I looked back at the two and recognized Matt. the guy who used me as an Alibi. I found him before anyone else. I found a rapist with a prostitute high on drugs in the worst neighbourhood in the city. That was God showing me how powerful he is, how he can cross my path with whatever he wants. The rapist recognized me, the two got out of the taxi. I was still new at the good guy game and I did not do anything about what had happened. The reason I believe it happened was because that's how God shows himself to people. (Intimate knowledge of good and evil) He answers our questions, he shows us who we are as long as we are open. Recognizing religion is really about recognizing when God is exposing himself to you. If your lucky you'll get to understand what's happening, if not it's because he doesn't want you too. I believe in God. I believe I believe in God just like Jesus did. I love my neighbours. I follow my heart and move in the direction I believe to be righteous and good. God is everything.
The reason I wanted to start a blog in the first place was to talk about what I was seeing on the streets of Edmonton. I often found myself in situation that I never expected to be in. I found myself exposed to situation that almost non of the people my age who lived in the same city as me had ever been exposed to. I did this looking for answers. I started writing about my life as a taxi cab driver because I was willing to dive into the real heart of my city. I had faith in a higher power that I could really dive in without fear.
I remember my first night as a blogger, it was slow. I was so excited to have a medium to write about my adventures and non were happening. I was just driving around guzzling up gas. The whole night was almost over and my heart never skipped a beat. It sucked. I was already thinking about what I wanted to say. I was talking smack to the allmighty for not offering me anything good. I got a call after that, not far from the shopping complex off of 170th and Stony plain Rd. It was a 19 year old kid, he wanted a prostitute. I had done that kind of thing before. I had a method. If they wanted a girl they would have to get out of the car to solicit her. He found a 54year old women outside of the 711. She was able to service the young gentlemen in the back seat in about the time it took to drive three or four blocks. The situation overwhelmed me. I was asking God for adventure and that's what I got. Now the most interesting part of the story is that after was all said and done the prostitute needed a ride back to the 711. I drove her back. I asked her questions, I probed for answers. I found out she had 3 kids, and that she was just addicted to crack. We stopped at a red light. I was in shock from the ordeal, but it was a situation I created. I exposed my self to it. I asked God to put me there. I was obviously there to record that event in my blog. Now here is when fate jumps in, kind of the grace of God. It involved the radio. "lake of fire" by Nirvana started playing, the main lyrics in the choros of "lake of fire" are "Where do bad folks go when they die, they don't got to heaven where the angels fly they go to a lake of fire and fry." The song relaxed me. I started singing it to the women sitting behind me. She was a prostitute and I was looking for a good story. The words to one of my favorite songs did nothing for her. The moment I looked back at her singing those lyrics she jumped out of my car and into the back seat of the blue car beside me. The car had been following us the whole time. They were all bad folks to me. They were all already dead. They couldn't even hear the words to the song. That song reminds me of that moment, it reminds me that those people are not to be judged by me but by someone else, something else. A figure that not only has the power to judge them but bring them back to life. And that can be anyone, anytime. I see religion everywhere.
I also have a close relationship with good and evil, it’s a relationship I created. It’s a relationship that can be fixed. Just remember to love the person next to you, because something out there is always watching us, eating those tasty fruits of the forbidden tree.
check out the movie

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

you need to be careful/aware of what kind of "adventure" you get yourself into in life (especially when you have a child). don't forget there's always the 'wrong place at the wrong time' factor when you are dealing with drugs/'bad folks'.

hey, wanna know what the coolest thing about GOD is?? God loves you because of who HE/SHE is, not because of who YOU are!!

unknown vector said...

There you go again. you are not unique. you are simply a man. its really strang to me to think that you think you can say and act as though everything is great. do you forget how fast shit come rooling down. check yourself......god must love crazy people. he makes so many of them.

Romance Alta., said...

The good Lord, God, plays the leading role in my life, brother. Be vigilant in protecting yourself from evil doers. Amen.

Anonymous said...

nice read. I would love to follow you on twitter. By the way, did you guys learn that some chinese hacker had hacked twitter yesterday again.