There Must Be Something More

56 | Saguaros and People

"Trust is sometimes earned. If you want to tell him about God's Word, you have to make sure you're trustworthy with him first."

I looked onto the empty highway as Meredith's voice resonated in my head. Even after a few minutes after she had given me the pep talk, I still haven't decided on what I was to do. 

I had an idea, however, on what she was trying to put out there. I knew she wanted me to make friends with Liam Kirby.

How would that be like, exactly? I wondered as I rolled on past houses I've seen all sixteen years of my life. Every cacti pot, tumbleweed roll, perennials, and even the crested saguaros I had memorized. 

But not one--not one--moment crossed my mind that I should get down my pickup and say hello to them.

Had that been my mistake? Were plants and people really not that different in morality? Were the cacti, tumbleweeds, perennials, saguaros individually different even though they were all just plants? Just like humans are all individually uniquely different even though we're all humans?

Had I been so selfish all this time to drive back and forth from places I visited and not stop to think that maybe these plants might not be calling out to me and they look alive and well, but deserve just as much attention as the plants I like? Was I wrong to just leave the tending to people the plants had always been familiar to, like the gardener?

And how that also applies to people? That even though everyone smiles and laughs and seem happy, they're really not? That their own gardeners might always be around to give them water, but there's still a deep void they can't fill? That I used to be just like these lonely plants until I found a fountain of water that crashed over all of me?

Was I wrong to only mind my own business?

Yes, I was. Meredith had made that clear to me. But that didn't mean I had to agree. Or like it.

I didn't like it.

I stepped on the brakes and parked beside a tall saguaro. Fetching my bottle of water from my backpack, I poured it onto the roots. I was parched, of course. But I knew the saguaro needed it more. I could just go to a convenience store or our tap water for a drink, but this saguaro was stuck in his place. So are his fellow saguaros. They needed someone different from them to provide something better than the life they know. Something more than the usual rain water and drought that kept coming and going.

They needed change.

And then a realization. I could almost taste it:

No matter how much I pour a whole bottle of water onto all these saguaros, they're not gonna get satisfied. Because no matter how determined I am, no matter how willing my heart is about taking care of them, I will always be a source that runs out. And I can't water all these saguaros, I would be exhausted and then I would have to buy myself a bottled water. It'll be like a wild goose chase.

That's why they need rain water. From God. God is the source that never runs out. And when He gives, it's more than enough. Rain water is so much better than one bottle of purified water.

I smiled. I couldn't believe I learned something from a saguaro. But what amazed me more is that God can use anything to give me wisdom. It was as if He had everything connected from the beginning of time. He knew how everything worked, and how to relate every little thing to the bigger things.

Who knew thinking about saguaros would end up with me realizing people are as helpless as I was before?

I poked a finger onto the prickly saguaro trunk and smiled. You are amazing, God.

Getting back to my pickup, I summed up all the realizations.

Liam needed a friend like me.

----------

When I stepped into our foyer, Mom was already home. She had her apron on and was already making dinner. Usually on Friday nights they liked to work overtime to get it over with and relax on the weekend. I wondered why she was unseasonable. 

"Mom?" I asked.

"Oh, you're here, sweetie," she said. She put a hand on the top of my head and kissed my forehead. 

"You're a little early for midnight," I said.

She chuckled and put an arm around me, which had always been hard for her since I was way taller than her now. She laced her arm through mine instead.

"Well, I actually did a very good job at work today," she said in that childish tone she always used on me whenever she was in a good mood.

I smiled. "What did you do?"

"I sold a three-story mansion to a billionaire family from New Hampshire. The boss loved my job and told me I can have a day off--today and Monday. Isn't that great?" 

Just to remind you, my mom and dad are real estate brokers.

I grinned and hugged her. "I'm happy for you, Mom."

"That's why I'm making dinner for the three of us to celebrate. We're going to do something we've never done in a while--a family dinner with all of our favorite food. Usually we let one of us decide what to eat, but tonight, it's going to be a feast. I'll pull out our favorites."

And then an idea hit me. I looked at Mom and grinned. "Mom, can we invite people over?"

Mom bit her lip and seemed to think hard. "Well, this was supposed to be just us, but--"

"We're still going to bond," I said. "Just with other people."

Mom stared at me, looked confounded. "Charlie..."

"Please?"

She clenched her jaw and closed her eyes. Then she gave me a smile of surrender and nodded.

"You're the best mom ever!" I said excitedly.

"What's with that interjection? Is this a girl you want to introduce?" she asked, staring at me in bewilderment.

I chuckled and shook my head. "I'm going to invite a good friend."

----------

"Me?" Liam asked, blinking way too many times. He stared at me as if I was hysterical. 

"Yeah, man," I said. "It's a celebration dinner. You and your sister are invited."

"How did you know I have a sister?" he asked. "She's usually not home until eleven in the night."

I panicked. I didn't expect his sister to be that confidential. I had to think of something--and fast. 

"I just assumed you had a sister," I said. "I mean... I bet you have all your family members in your house, right?"

Liam looked struck. He looked away. "No."

"Oh, well, you and your sister are still invited." I grinned.

He shook his head. "Don't count on it. She's busy with college and she's always going out with Tyler. She won't be back till really later. You and your family have fun tonight." He turned away to leave glumly.

I shrugged. "Okay then, why don't you join us?"

He turned. He boggled. "What?"

"Yeah, man. You can be my brother for the night," I said, chuckling. I didn't know where all this confidence was coming from, but there was no way of stopping it.

Liam ran a hand through his blond hair and nodded. "Okay, man." He grinned. "I've always wanted a brother. And a fellow baseball player at that."

"Me too," I said. We bumped fists.

Dad pulled over the driveway. When he got out, he motioned for me to come inside with a smile.

"Let's go," I told Liam. We trotted towards the house.