As the guest preacher at the First Baptist Church of Port Wentworth, Georgia he said, "I've got my B.A. degree! Do you?"
After church I asked, "Granddaddy, you never went to college. You don't have a Bachelor of Arts. Why'd you say that?"
Bursting into laughter, he hugged me tight and said, "I been Born Again."
I love that story.
And I sure loved my Granddaddy.
The truth is I don't think much about being born again because I'm too busy living life, loving Sarah, bemused by her daughters, trying to keep up with my kids, writing, practicing my guitar and Bar Church.
But the other night I realized that I really have been born again ... again.
Sarah and I took the girls to Johnny Harris' Restaurant for the Savannah Singer/Songwriter Series because we wanted to introduce them to the music of Jefferson Ross and Tom Cooler and new friends we hadn't met yet.
I was speaking to Thomas Oliver when I stopped in mid sentence to say, "I didn't come to see y'all. I CAME TO SEE HER!"
Rushing the plate down in front of the customer, she squeals with glee, yelling "REV MIKE!"
And we embrace and she excitedly looks at Sarah and the girls.
A long time ago ... in another life ... I helped start The Starfish Café ... a working restaurant and culinary arts training program for homeless people.
Mae was one of the students.
Many years later ... in this life ... she remembers ... and remains grateful ... giving me lots of love whenever she sees me ... delighting in the life I have now ... filling me with a strange mixture of gratefulness and pride.
Jefferson, Tom and the others were killing it and you could hear pins dropping as they opened their souls and sang their songs.
Sarah's girls loved it.
The room was full of joy.
As we were leaving Maddie, the 13 year old, snapped a photograph of Mae and me ... documenting that both of us survived the last life ... to enjoy this one.
