Same Kind of Different as Me

About 10 years ago I read the book, Same Kind of Different As Me written by Ron Hall and Denver Moore. I started reading at home and finished reading this book sometime in the middle of the night at my good friends, Kevin and Alison Hancock's home in Casco, Maine. I was visiting them and was in search of peace in my own life.

We were in the midst of a time when I wasn't taking a paycheck even though I was working full time. I learned an incredible number of life lessons during these difficult times. My wife and I lost all of our "wealth" during this time. We "gave" our home away, had to sell our interest in the business while we went 18 months without making a single penny. I worked long hours, but it was for the promise for recovery that never came. I was especially sensitive to homelessness at this point in my life. I hope I never lose that sensitivity or the humility you experience when you work incredibly hard and don't receive a financial return from your work.  

Due to some very strange circumstances, I repeatedly found work in other cities to survive financially, but more importantly, the Lord gave me something far more valuable than wealth. He gave me a new kind of faith and peace and hope like I had never experienced. This book's wisdom was like oxygen for a person who found himself struggling to take a breath. We may never be "wealthy" again in the financial sense, but we can experience a new kind of joy not associated with wealth. I am not suggesting wealth is not good. It could be that I needed to be separated from wealth for me to learn the lessons God had in mind. It could have been a coincidence, but I believe it was much more than that. Regardless, I learned a great deal about life and about who I could count on. I became very grateful for my experiences even when I would not have chosen such hardship. It is humbling to lose so much you believed you had earned for yourself and your family.

I vividly remember where I was when I finished the book because I could not put it down. I read all through the night. I left my copy of the book there with Alison as a gift for her to read. Since then, I have made numerous pictures as gifts with Denver's quotes as the captions. I have given away a few more copies of the book. You might wonder how a person losing wealth is giving gifts, but I believe giving is one of our greatest riches in life. No matter how bad things became, I never lost that belief. I hope I never do. And no matter how little we have, we can give to those who have less than we do. I have had more than my share of gifts in this world.

Last night I finished watching the movie version of this story and while it stirred and inspired me again, it could not do justice to reading the words that Ron and Denver shared with us in this amazing book that they wrote together in 2006. I wish I had gone to see and gotten to know Denver on one of his tours before he died in 2012. He came to Atlanta and I can't say why I didn't go meet him.

At times, I feel like I know Ron Hall because I believe I have my own real-life version of someone like Debbie Hall in my own wife, Elizabeth. Elizabeth has always found ways to give to others no matter her own circumstances. When I met her she was a single Mother, giving her children as much love and joy as any "couple" ever could. Someone once suggested that Elizabeth needed me when we met. I needed her far more than she did me. She helps bring out the good in others, but especially me. She has made my world a better place. Our greatest gifts are those that when we give them we always have more to give.

I remember years ago that Elizabeth and my youngest daughter, Mary Sims who was just a small child, insisted on giving food and rides to "homeless people" in spite of the possible danger. They would ignore my protests of taking this risk. They would do this with just the two of them in the car. "Sims" as we call her now was so young she was still riding in a car seat. She would cry when she passed a homeless person and we didn't stop and help. Some people just seem to get what matters in life. They take risks to give to others. Their hearts have so much room for others. It seems to me that we give people a home even if it is just for a moment when we give them a little room in our hearts.

Denver and Ron's words touched me deeply then and I am sharing some of my favorite words of theirs with you today.  Remember as Denver said, in a way we are all homeless on this earth - this earth is not a final resting place.  - Jim

Quotes from "Same Kind of Different as Me"

     by Ron Hall & Denver Moore with Lynn Vincent

“Every man should have the courage to stand up and face the enemy, cause every person that looks like an enemy on the outside ain’t necessarily one on the inside.”  Denver Moore

Greater love has no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.

Denver asks, What did God say when he finished makin the world and all that is in it?  Ron answers, “It is good.”  Denver responds, “Exactly.”

Denver, “Money can’t buy no blessins.”

Joshua & Caleb, Land flowed with milk and honey.  The bad news is the land is inhabited with Giants.  Do Not Be Afraid!

Denver, “You know you got to get the devil out the house, ‘fore you can clean it up!”

Homeless woman in Fort Worth quote, “Why are you so happy?  I woke up!  And that’s reason enough to be happy!”

Plucky – definition – spirited and brave.

Denver asks, “Mr. Ron, does you own something that each one of them keys fits?  Ron answers, “Yes.”  Denver responds, “Are you sure you own them, or does they own you?”

Denver, “A successful person is one who can thank God for nothing, and then He will give him everything!”

What must befall thee, must befall thee, what must pass ye by, must pass ye by!”

Mr. Ron asks Denver, “will you be my friend?”  Denver responds, “let me think about it.”  The next day Denver says, “So Mr. Ron, if you is fishin for a friend you just goin to catch and release, then I ain’t got no desire to be your friend.”  “But if you is lookin for a real friend, then I’ll be one.  Forever.”

“All good medicine tastes bad!”  Aunt Etha

“I ran out of strong.”  Carson Hall

“You are welcome in our home.”  Debbie Hall

Denver when Miss Debbie (Ron’s wife) dies, tells Mr. Ron, “I know when somebody you love is gone that’s the last time you feel like thankin God.  But some times we has to be thankful for the things that hurt us.  Cause some times God does things that hurt us, but they help somebody else.”

Solomon, “There was found in the city a certain poor man who was wise and by his wisdom, he saved the city.”

“You never know whose eyes God is watchin you through.”  Denver Moore

Denver, “But I found out everybody’s different – the same kind of different as me.  We’re all just regular folks walkin down the road God done set in front of us.  The truth about it is, whether we is rich or poor or something in between, this earth ain’t no final restin place.  So in a way, we is all homeless – just workin our way toward home.”