So there I was, just returning from my day off run to Woodgrain in Westmont (so good, btw) and getting ready to eat when someone knocks on the door. It took me a minute to get to the door and I saw a young guy in a white shirt walking back down the steps. “I wonder if it’s a mormon,” I thought.
I open the door, and the guy turns around and explains that he’s going door to door for a pest control business and begins detailing the kinds of hideous bugs that are found in our area, including a handy picture chart of said bugs. I stop his explanation for two reasons. First, stop talking about bugs and, also, stop showing them to me. Second, I kindly explain that this is the rectory for the church right next door and that we already have a contract which includes coverage for the house and blah blah blah.
“Oh, are you a priest?” says our friend. “Nope, I’m in the seminary and I’m doing my internship at this parish.” The pest guy reveals that he is LDS and what follows is one of the most beautiful conversations I have had in along time. We talked on the porch for a while, and then he politely asks to use the restroom; obviously I charged him for it, but ultimately said sure (just kidding). Afterward I offered him a coke for the road which he took and, to my surprise, plopped down at the island in the kitchen. We talked for about 20 more minutes over pizza and pop talking about his time on mission (Las Vegas!), my life in the parish, different aspects of our respective faiths, young people who have stopped believing in God, and more.
God is good, and he’s constantly putting brothers and sisters in Christ in our lives to encourage us and build us up. Just want to say thanks to Jeff, the pest control guy, and, more importantly, the Son of God who served as His holy instrument in my life today.
