Joey Adams and his older brother, attorney Mark Adams, had taken their families on a short trip down memory lane before they had to catch a flight from their childhood home in Georgia, back to California. They were hungry and decided they had time to eat before they headed to the airport to meet up with the Kinos and Wallaces. They spotted a small local restaurant and headed inside.
They sat near the back, but that didn’t deter the people that spotted them. The first person was actually a part of the Appel Martial Arts umbrella. A young man, maybe mid-twenties, came to their table, a big smile on his face. He spoke to Joey. “Excuse me, but, Master Adams?”
Joey nodded and smiled. “Yes?”
“I’m so sorry to interrupt your meal with— ” he gestured around. “Your family, I presume?”
Joey nodded again. “Yes.” He stood, partly to be polite and partly to protect said family.
“I’m Jared Owens. I train at Appel Martial Arts just down the street and you came in there several years ago and spoke to the class and gave me some pointers. I’ll never forget it and I just wanted to say thank you. In a way, you changed my life, and I promised myself if I ever saw you in person again, I’d tell you how grateful I am.” He extended his hand and Joey shook it.
“May I ask, Jared, how me giving you some pointers changed your life?”
“Yes sir. I’m happy to share it with you. I share the story a lot,” he said with a smile. “I was working on one of my kicks and you came over to instruct me. You asked me if I lived nearby and I told you that I did not. I told you that I lived with my mother and kid brother several miles away and that I’d gotten into trouble and being in the class was part of my probation.”
Joey nodded. “Ah, yes, I think I remember you now. I remember thinking that it was a wise decision on the judge’s part, and then I learned from your Master that he was friends with the judge and that’s why the judge had so much faith that you being in Master Dutton’s class would change your attitude.”
“And it did sir. Master Dutton has been like a real father to me. But it was also something you said to me, Master Adams. You told me first, that anything worth doing was worth doing well and to practice that kick until I perfected it. And you told me no matter what I did to get into that trouble, whether I was guilty or innocent, it didn’t matter. That sometimes things are put in our path to help us to learn or to grow or to get better.
“And I asked you who would put things in my path, and you said that God would, or He would allow it to happen, but that it wasn’t to punish me, but to hone me because He loves me. And you said you understood that my life had been hard so far, and that it’s how I handle it that will affect how the rest of my life will go. And like, at the time, I was all offended because I felt like it was unfair because I was innocent. I didn’t steal that kid’s bike, and here I was having to attend a stupid martial arts class. But you said, guilty or innocent. You said, if I was innocent and it seemed unfair, to remember that there was another man who went to the cross and He too, was innocent. Was I better than Him? We all have crosses to bear. How do we handle it? What you said changed my life, and my mother’s life and my little brother’s life and now, that’s what I do.”
“What do you do?”
“I change lives. I’m an instructor at Appel Martial Arts and I’m a youth pastor for the Kingdom’s Kids at the Church of Christ over in Jonesboro.”
Joey teared up as did the others at their table. “Jared, congratulations, young man. I’m proud of you.”
“Thank you sir. And I’m sorry to interrupt your meal with your family, but if you’re ever in town again, please come by if you have time.”
“I’d love that.”
Jared handed him a card and Joey put it away.
The young man started to turn away and turned back. “Oh my goodness, I just realized who you’re with. Master Adams,” Jared said as he extended his hand to Mark.
Mark stood and shook his hand.
Jared turned to JoJo and Logan. “And my Kingdom Kids are gonna be totally freaked out that I got to see JoJo Adams and Logan Adams. Logan, they follow you, because you’re on Gabe Tanner’s website all the time and they love Gabe and Taylor, and my kids are chomping at the bit to buy your first album.”
Logan stood and shook his hand. “Nice to meet you Jared. Tell them all I’m depending on them.”
“I will. And JoJo, we’re all like, Georgia fans, but, we all love USC too because of you. We were crushed when you got hurt.”
JoJo stood and shook his hand using his left hand. “It’s okay, I’ll recover and tell your kids, whatever God’s will is for me, that’s all I want to do, so, if playing pro isn’t what He has for me, I’m good. I just want to do His will. I trust Him.”
Jared teared up. “That was beautiful and I will tell them exactly what you said.” He turned to smile at the women.
“Jared,” Joey went on. “This is my wife, Breez, Mark’s wife, Bella, Mark’s daughter, Em, and my children, Sophia, Kelstyn and Ledger.”
He nodded and smiled. “It’s so nice to meet you all, and again, sorry to interrupt and thank you all so much for your kindness. I’m gonna get out of your way.” He turned and walked away, then stopped and came back. “Oh, and what you all just did at the Feeding of the Five Thousand, you have inspired a nation. Okay, I’m done. Thanks again.” He turned and walked away.
Excerpt from #12 Feed My Sheep-In Jesus’ Name... Download FREE
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