Who are these people you ask? Well, if your from Crossroads in the Bronx, this is a no brainer. But with the advent of Twitter, I have to assume that there may be new friends who have no clue of who they are. Shall I start with the wife?
Maria Toro, aka, the voice of God. Actually, they both have been used as the voice of God. She is The Fabulous Moolah and he is Ivan Putski. They literally tag team within a worship service. One will deliver a message in tongues and the other will interpret (if these terms are unfamiliar, watch The Apostle with Robert Duvall). But let's leave their church service-manifested-spiritual gifts to the side for a moment and focus on some of the more non-church service giftings.
Maria has the uncanny, spirit-led ability to go to any Westchester County tag sale, browse through hundreds of ancient hardcover clothbound books wrapped in mold and pulls out the one that God wants me to read right at that moment (leaving the spores behind). You think I'm kidding? I just landed in LA with my latest Maria gift, a book by William H. Stannard titled "My Christian Responsibility" (Christopher Publishing House, 1950). This thing is only 70 pages long. Thank God. If it was any longer, considering the content, I might just die! This thing wrecked me. It has in it "treasure lines" that still ring today from the very heart of God. How did this man know to write things that Crossroads would be going through right now. Truly renewal is about returning. A must read if you can find it. My sons will be the first to get my copy.
This is not the first time folks. Maria does this all the time. She wraps these books in Godiva chocolate wrapping paper (while I'm on a strict diet - that's the Moolah in her) and leaves it on my desk. No note, no description, no card. She leaves it there, knowing that she has been Spirit led and delivers the goods, then slips away. Mission accomplished. Maria does this all time.
During one of my darkest hours, she slipped in "Light On The Clouds" by M.J. Savage, a 100 year old book on suffering, sorrow and the purpose behind it. The list goes on. And the list is in line with a new conviction of mine. Make sure there is always a book at your bedside that is at least 50 years old, preferably older. You will never understand your generation until you step away and see it from other place, the past.
Pete is Mars, the opposite of Venus (Maria) and thank God. There could never be 2 of them. The world is not big enough for these two giants (Both of them stacked up on each other reach 8 ft. And they are the same height. Do the math). Pete's gifting are in his hands. The song says "I offer my hands to you". That is what Pete does. He is an artist. But he does not require the typical canvas or colors of an artist. His canvas starts with nothing, ex nihilo. Show him an opening in a wall and tell him you want doors. There the artist begins and he obtains all of the right supplies. He brings his bag and the work begins. There is no longer an opening in the wall. There is a beautiful glass door that provides privacy if need be but allows light to still shine through.
So you know by now that he is a carpenter. Ok. But there's more. He did this kind of work for over 20 years. He retired from Transit and is now able to lay those tools down. Walk away! But no. He picks them up again because what he did was not just a job. It was part of his Christian responsibility (I got that from my new book). I saw this man embrace night shifts without kicking or fussing, robbing him of critical fellowship. His attitude towards it makes him and his gifting continually useful. Now he does it more as recreation. Recreation means to "re-create, create anew". That means to give fresh life to it. He is giving fresh new life to what he used to do. And we are the people who eat the fruit he bears. He continues to give His time to Jesus because he knows that his days never belonged to him. They belong to the Master. I love this man's resolve. I love how he is wired. He is a father to multiple generations and stands as one of the most treasured gifts in Crossroads.
Do you have a Pete & Maria in your life? Have you ever asked God for them? I did. I was young and afraid. I walked into a ministry built by a legend in Rev. Aimee Cortese. I lacked wisdom. I lacked healthy mature friendships with people who could serve as Barnabas'. I lacked the know how of dealing with people, problems and pain. I lacked so much. But God gave me a wife in Melissa, followed by friends in Pete & Maria. They always saw in me what I didn't see in myself. And these people are not easily impressed with me. They have confronted me and kept it all very real. They are "authentic relationships". They have warned me of wolves, lions and bears in the camp. They have given themselves to the work (La Obra) and have left the legacy that the next generation will so desperately need. You can't purchase Pete & Maria's online. They're only from above. Ask.
