Meet Kris Munsch.Kris has quite a story. And he's traveling great distances telling his story, learning more about his story, and meeting people with a story of their own. Oh, and I must not forget, he's changing lives and leaving a wake of hope wherever he goes.
Nearly seven years ago, I sat across a table from Kris in a relatively dark sports bar in Hays, Kansas as we enjoyed lunch together. I was a radio show host, and Kris was a successful businessman who sponsored the show.
All of the outward signs pointed to the fact that Kris was on top of his game. He had two successful liquor stores, a wife and a family, and popularity within every circle of the community. He was a likeable person. That's why I wanted to grab a hamburger with him. I enjoyed being around the guy.
As we sat in the sports bar, I looked at him and made a comment that seemed very random at the time. I said, "Kris, I can't explain it but I believe God is going to do something very powerful through your life." It was random because it didn't quite fit into the tone of the rest of the conversation (or any of our previous conversations), but I felt compelled to say it. Little did I know, but Kris's journey was about to take a dramatic turn.
In December of 2005, Kris's son, Blake, was tragically killed in an automobile accident. Shortly after, he experienced the failure of his marriage. His life was collapsing around him. This heartbreaking loss propelled him on a journey which he describes on his website (http://www.thebirdhouseproject.com/):
"I vividly remember the numbness I felt hearing Blake’s mother’s screams when I picked up the phone, seeing the police officers at my door, standing right inside the tire marks at the accident site. None of these came close to preparing me to walk into that room where my son would lay lifeless. I didn’t want to accept that he was gone – that everything I knew no longer mattered! But I took that step. I crossed the threshold because there was no more denying it; this was part of my life.
This year, after five years struggling and searching, I look behind me to the loss of my son, another failed marriage, and an unfulfilling career and accept that this isn’t the life I wanted, but this is the life I got. Once more I’m going across the threshold to face my fears and to find out what it will take to make some sense out of all of this, find my faith in God, and hopefully restore a little faith in myself."
In the midst of his pain and loss, Kris began to see things differently. He also began to recognize that he had a gift to help others heal in their own grieving process. So, he developed "The Birdhouse Project", and began a cross country journey--to be exact, visiting 48 states in 365 days. Armed with a distinct message and project that brought hope, he set out to experience healing--for himself and others.
I sat across a table this morning from Kris and enjoyed his company once again. It was the first time I had seen him in years. I listened to his story. I marveled at how God was using him. I was inspired by his boldness and courage.
Saying that Kris has courage is an overly simplistic statement. He sold all that he had spent years building, bought a little car that he had fixed up to communicate his message of hope, and took the first few steps of a mysterious and unknown journey...A journey that would challenge him at the deepest level of his soul.
While I sipped on cold coffee (I was so interested in his story that I lacked the initiative to continue to leave the table to warm it up) I listened to him describe the challenges of his mission. He sleeps in his car most nights. Many of his meals consist of a simple peanut butter bagel or a bag of ramen noodles. But, he assured me that he is having the time of his life. He spends his days speaking at workshops, support groups, churches, counseling perfect strangers in McDonalds, and continuously learning more about himself, God, and the story that is unfolding each and every day.
In addition to the physical challenges, he has also experienced rejection from some of the people that he loves the most. Many people have tried to convince him that he's "lost it". After he had sold everything and prepared to "cross the threshold", he had a loved one say, "Oh My God. You are going out to kill yourself." Kris responded by saying, "No, I am going out to live. Truly live. " I guess the two are connected. The only thing Kris was planning on killing was his old nature.
It dawned on me that I was sitting across from a man who was living the words of Jesus found in Matthew 16, "To find your life, you must lose it." Kris gave up all that he had in order to walk the narrow path that God was leading him down.
I left Panera Bread inspired and encouraged. I pulled out of the parking lot, looked in my rear view mirror and spotted his "hope mobile" behind me, and began smiling as I thought back to our sports bar conversation from seven years prior. To say that God had big plans for Kris Munsch may have been an understatement the size of this coast to coast journey he's on.
And I believe he's just beginning.
You can follow his journey at http://www.thebirdhouseproject.com/.
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