Growth Chart

I became the temporary secretary at Central Christian Church when I was 17. It was the summer after graduating high school and before starting college. Basically they needed someone who was a Christian, could type and answer the phone, and wouldn't need the job in the fall when the new secretary arrived. I fit the bill.
I was not the only employee of the church who was brand new that summer. Brett was our straight-out-of-seminary Youth Minister. This was my first job as a secretary and his first job as a minister.
Intelligent guy that he is, it took him no time at all to figure out that I was one of the most clueless individuals on the planet. On top of that, I had only been a Christian for a year and a half and hadn't matured in my faith as much as I should have. The only explanation for me getting (and keeping) the job was that it was a God thing. Truthfully.
A few years later I got married and moved away. Brett went on to plant a church that was, and continues to be, one of the fastest-growing congregations in our brotherhood.
Fast forward about 18 years. Clinton and I were attending the North American Christian Convention in Louisville, Kentucky. In the program of events we happened to spot Brett's name and I realized he must be at the convention. Of course, thousands of others were there as well. It would NOT be an easy task to find him out of the blue. Undaunted, I told God that it would be fun to see him, even for a second, if He could arrange that for me.
From the program I knew Brett was on a committee that was meeting in a certain room at a certain time. Clinton and I tried to find the room before the meeting adjourned but never found it. While standing in the general vicinity of where we thought he might come through, with hundreds of people milling around and on their way to the opening session, I prayed and turned around.
"Somehow" I knew that Brett had already passed me and was walking away. "Somehow" I knew that the man in khakis and yellow polo was him. I ran after and shouted his name. He stopped and turned around. I will never forget the look on his face when he recognized me. To this day the memory of it makes me smile.
His gaping mouth, wide eyes and raised eyebrows told me that I was one of the last people he expected to run into at an event like the North American. It was a look that said, "YOU?! HERE?!" Now I don't often get to mess with people's heads, but I got him good that time. After he remembered how to talk we had a nice conversation.
In that moment I realized the milestone. Here was a man who knew me as a hapless baby Christian. Now he was seeing me all grown up. And for him, the simple fact of my presence at the conference meant that I had grown in the Lord and was still walking with Him. Otherwise, why would I have been there?
Sometimes it takes a "chance" meeting to help you realize that you have, in fact, grown and changed. And, at the same time, you can catch a glimpse of how far you still have to go. You see, in those few minutes I got to see a bit of how Brett had grown up over the years as well.
I just hope Brett isn't surprised to see me when we get to Heaven. :)