In a little less than an hour from my writing this, Ben and I will be heading to the wake of a young woman from our church. She was only 36 years old and had endured a lifetime of health issues. She had even faced death once before when she needed a double lung transplant and in the twelfth hour a donor was found. You would never know she dealt with so much though by talking to her or by being around her. She was radiant in every way and illness was not something you would associate with her unless you knew her story.
When Ben and I met Jess and her mother close to fifteen years ago, one of the immediate first impressions we got was just a deep sweetness about her. She was genuinely kind, genuinely joyful, and genuinely hopeful. More evident than anything else however, was the fact that she genuinely loved God and sought to honor Him in everything she did. She was deeply loved and admired, and set an example of unshakeable faith in the face of adversity. Even those of us who weren't in her inner circle of friends, couldn't help but be permanently impacted by watching her faith walk.
Hundreds of people joined together across the country and likely around the globe, in this last leg of her race and faithfully prayed for another twelfth hour miracle. We had seen it done once.... surely we would see it again. When I saw the post about her passing from her husband, just minutes after he wrote it, I couldn't help but cry. I know she's in heaven and healthy again and worshipping, but from a purely selfish standpoint...this world needs more Christians like Jess...our loss of her is truly Heaven's gain.
As I sat processing the realization that she was gone, I had an intimate conversation with Holy Spirit and asked Him to speak to me through scripture and give me something in that moment of sadness. As always, He was faithful...and He brought me to a chapter of the Bible, in a very specific translation. He told me this was her P.S. to all of us....and as I read it, I understood why. As a creative writer, I removed the verse numbers and I want you to read this imagining two distinct voices, the voices of those here left behind, and her voice as she steps into eternity.
I encourage you to think of your loved ones who you've lost that you know you will get to see again when you get to heaven, and think of this as the P.S. at the end of their life's letter as well....and be encouraged by it like I was.
Isaiah 12
The Voice translation (VOICE)
US: In the face of such grace that day, you will thank God.
I wasn't planning to do a Throwback Thursday, but I found this old draft of a blog post from several years ago where I had transcribed an actual text conversation I had with a complete stranger that morning. I was going to delete it, but then thought, you know what....I remember that day and that conversation VERY well....and even though it was more than 5 years ago...the point I was going to make then is still valid today. Soooo.....here goes.....Throwback Thursday.
*Draft from March of 2013*
Text transcription
Did you leave your house yet? Was going to ask you to bring in a large pitcher if you could. I have an object lesson for group today and I got rid of mine when we moved.
I think you have the wrong number
Oh.......sorry. Was trying to reach Sherri.
This is Sheri. Who's this? Your text didn't make sense to me.
It's Fran. I was hoping to catch you before you left home. I wanted to borrow a pitcher for a lesson I wanted to teach at Bible study today. Sorry to confuse you.
Fran who works at Rivera? I don't work there...plus I'm still home sick today.
LOL......no, Fran from S*.....I guess I do have the wrong number afterall.....sorry. I hope you have a great day.....and I'll pray you feel better. :)
Thanks. Weird, my name is Sherri too...hope you get to borrow your pitcher. I would have brought it if I worked with you...lol.
LOL....that IS weird. Wow.....God REALLY loves you because I guess He wanted you to have a complete stranger pray for you to feel better. :) The number I saved in my phone is my boss' cell number and the pitcher was for a Bible study we have here at work. God works in mysterious ways. :) Well....feel free to keep my number if you ever have a prayer request you want to send over. :)
Thanks...I need a prayer for more hours at work or another job. Only working part time. You are more than welcome to borrow a pitcher. God works in mysterious ways!! Have a great day!!
You got it! I will have my entire team pray for you. Be blessed Sheri! I'm Fran. :)
So on that day I was trying to text my boss, Sherri, something that I did all the time. Now this was not a normal misdial.....I had my boss Sherri's cell number saved to my contacts and I always texted her by just tapping her speed dial on my phone. That morning I did the EXACT same thing....I tapped on her photo and sent the text......but somehow it went to a completely different number....not even close to the same digits.....to a random woman who was also named Sheri. Coincidence? Nah.....I think everything happens for a reason. That day, I was able to briefly encourage a total stranger by letting her know God loves her and that there were complete strangers praying for her. Kind of a virtual hug from God that she needed at that exact moment. Meanwhile, to my Bible study group of almost all new Christians, that I needed that pitcher for....I was able to show one of the ways God will unexpectedly use random circumstances to get His message across to us.
A couple of weeks ago I got to be on the receiving end of another random God hug. It was right after we had gotten the diagnosis for Ben and I was still in shell shock and trying to get my spiritual feet under me. So I was quietly sitting at my desk, nose to the grindstone, desperately trying to avoid people in an attempt to hold myself together as I prayed and processed. Suddenly one of my favorite co-workers came over to ask me a question. I thought I was faking it pretty well, but I honestly don't have a good poker face. After a moment, he just looked at me and said, "you look like you need a hug...." and he walked over and hugged me. Of course....I silently lost it....I know in that moment it was my co-worker hugging me...but I also know that even though he had no idea at that time what was going on, it was God who had prompted him to come and do that. To use my co-worker/friend to let me know everything was going to be ok and....well....kind of a God hug via him.
Sometimes God will send us virtual hugs through actual things like a co-worker, or an impossibly random wrong number, or maybe a billboard, a song, etc......I have so many stories of times in my life that God sent me a "hug" to let me know He was there....and rooting for me, or encouraging me, etc. We just have to make sure to pay attention. People think God only speaks to us through an audible voice....but that's not true....He will speak to us in any way needed to get His message across. So.....antennas up people...God might just be sending you a hug and you didn't even realize it. How can you not hug someone you love so much.... and believe me, He L-O-V-E-S you....sooooo much!
Taste of His goodness; see how wonderful the Eternal truly is. Anyone who puts trust in Him will be blessed and comforted.
I love Autumn. It's so beautiful here in New England...although....it's usually far too brief as we jump from sweltering heat and oppressive humidity right into bone chilling wind and cold. It seems like just as the trees are finally all starting to look beautiful together...whoosh....super winds and rain pull them all off and we have months of bare, dull shades of gray and brown. Today I stood looking out my office window, to a cluster of trees on the other side of the parking lot. The sky was a vivid bright blue with clusters of fluffy white clouds mixed with clusters of fluffy dark gray clouds. Some of the trees were completely bare, some were covered in leaves of bright red or bright yellow, while others were still fully bright green and lush. It was windy too and I watched trees, bushes and tall grasses moving back and forth in the same direction the clouds were moving across the sky. Even though the sun wasn't visible, beyond the cloud shadows it made it's presence known with golden white light that rested on random things here and there.
A popular little thing that us Christians say sometimes is one person or group will burst out with, "God is good all the time....." then another person or group will respond back with, ".....and all the time God is good." It's an encouraging rallying cry, that can find the Christians in a room full of people faster than a light switch can be flipped. People smile and get excited...think of it kind of like a spiritual fist bump.
The very thing we need as a rallying cry as we go through difficult seasons seems to be absent most of the time....at least for us Western Christians. Maybe that's one of the differences between us and our persecuted brothers and sisters throughout history and around the globe....we have an addiction to comfort.
Paul sang in prison, Stephen prayed for those stoning him, 40 martyrs of Sevaste willingly chose to freeze, bare naked in the middle of a lake rather than take the easy way out, Germanicus, Polycarp, Bonhoeffer, Elliot....and many more endured horrible things in their lives....far beyond just the normal crummy life circumstances we deal with. The ones I mentioned actually died for their faith....horribly cruel deaths...yet every one of them believed God was good ALL the time. In one of my favorite documentaries by Darren Wilson there is one sweet spirited man, that I just adore, who shows the scars of cigarette burns on his torso from being tortured for his faith. Yet he still cries tears of joy from the passionate affection he feels for how good God is....ALL the time.
God is good all the time.....ALL the time.....there is no hiatus...there is no vacation....there is no stalemate....there is no busy signal....and there is no failure to launch....God is good A-L-L the time....even when life is overshadowed by clouds of trouble....even when winds of change and harshness blow....even when seasons go from lush to stark.....even when warmth turns to cold.....just like the sun was still shining behind those clouds today as I looked outside...God is still good no matter what we face in life....and if we look for Him...we will be able to see His bright golden white light resting on things as we move along...reminding us that He has never left us alone and soon the clouds will pass.
I've always believed that joy is a choice and I still do. In my opinion, joy and happiness aren't the same thing and you can definitely have one without the other. Happiness doesn't exist in a bad moment....but joy actually can.
Happiness is a state of being..or in other terms...the natural flowing side effect of a good experience. Sooooo.......what determines if the experience is good or not? Well, that comes from each individual persons own definition of what they like or dislike. For example, I dislike snakes, but my husband likes them and can and will pick them up and enjoy holding and looking at them as if he's holding and looking at say.....a kitten. In that moment he's unbelievably happy....me.....not so much. Similarly, I really like the experience of shopping and can literally spend hours wandering through racks and aisles looking for bargains. In that moment I'm euphorically happy....Ben....not even close..he's in chest gripping dread thinking of what I could be spending or even considering spending.
Consider the photo of a person in a bright yellow bathing suit smiling at an under water camera with bubbles coming from their nose for someone that may trigger great memories of a tropical vacation and lots of laughter and adventure......good experience = happiness. For the person sitting next to them however, that exact same photo may trigger horrible memories where they couldn't breathe under water...or fear of the unclear water behind them that could be hiding dangerous things.....bad experience = unhappiness. How about the public announcement of a pregnancy or an engagement? For some those things are wonderful and happy because they've had good experiences, while for others those things can cause deep sadness, feelings of inadequacy, and even depression because they long for things that have yet to be fulfilled. A photo of a loving couple sitting in a romantically lit restaurant staring into each others eyes longingly may make one person's heart go pitter patter with feelings of romance.....while another feels disgust as they look for wedding rings and wonder if they are having an affair. Happiness is not an across the board given....it's subjectively based on our experiences or perceptions.
Joy, however, well...it's more than an event...it goes deeper than that....it's a little more abstract....it's an essence....an essence of being one way in spite of things being another way....and it usually requires our cooperation.....it's a purposefully made choice. How though do we choose joy? How do we envelope that essence? It starts with us deciding WHERE our joy comes from.....what is our source. I mean dissecting the raw REAL source we draw our definition of joy from. Does our joy come from the fleeting and completely imperfect things this life and other humans have to offer...or does it come from something else? If our definition of joy is based on life circumstances and people....then we've unintentionally and unknowingly tied our definition of joy in with our definition of happiness. If that happens....our joy will always fall short and we will always be on a roller coaster ride based on how our day or our life is going. I don't know about you, but I don't like emotional whiplash.
For us Christians, our definition of joy cannot be tied to our definition of happiness. Instead, it MUST be based on the character traits of who we know and are learning the triune God (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) to be.
I cannot stress that last comment enough....so I'm going to repeat myself in a slightly different way...
.....our definition of joy MUST ONLY be based on THE CHARACTER TRAITS of GOD.......NOT on a person, circumstance, event, or situation and certainly NOT on a feeling.....not even on how we perceive God SHOULD perform....but on His character traits.
Like it or not, there are some things we Jesus folk really need to understand....and we just HAVE to grasp this because it's literally causing way too many Christians to sink in their faith walk because they are walking around miserable, hopeless, bitter and just plain dried out. Weary is one thing....we ALL get battle weary....but to be spiritually mummified is a whole other issue. We're supposed to bring salt and light to the world....not Jesus jerky. I know that may sound funny...but seriously....pay attention here...
1) Humans have free will, which means we and those around us can make horrible choices that are cruel and selfish and downright evil and can affect....well....almost everything. (Free will explained) (i.e. a) people we work with can be jerks b) spouses can lie or say cruel things c) drivers can cut us off d) people can commit heinous crimes etc. etc. etc. )
2) Since the fall of man....we live in a "fallen nature" (imperfect) world that is, ALSO like it or not, subject to the natural laws of science and nature instead of God's perfect laws. ( i.e. a) gravity pulls things down b) germs and lack of sleep can cause us to get sick c) weather patterns can wreak disastrous havoc d) lemon bars, potato chips and fettuccine alfredo make us fat etc. etc. etc.)
To choose to be joyful in the face of adversity and cruelty and trauma is hard....sometimes it feels impossible...but I promise you...it's not. I've been through some really hard things, some traumatic things, some potentially embittering things....many at the hands of people that I loved and trusted....and even now there is a battle that my husband and I are fighting together that could easily be cause to steal our joy. However, through EVERYTHING....even when I'm too wounded or weary to actually talk to God....I go to His Word and let Him speak to me and I feel my joy...my essence of being, restored in the midst of whatever hell I'm tearfully fighting through.
The cooperation portion of the essence is I have to ALLOW myself to BELIEVE that there is hope. I have to ALLOW myself to BELIEVE that God is actually who He says He is. I have to ALLOW myself to BELIEVE that God actually really does love me and doesn't want to hurt me and let me down the way humans have hurt me and let me down. Don't fool yourself either...we all SAY we believe that...and sing the songs and run around like joy filled Polly Pockets when life is grand....but the reality is...when life is horrible we do not function in joy...we function in fear, anger, CONTROL, bitterness, rejection, etc, etc, etc. Choosing to cooperate with joy takes effort....God knows and has always known that. That's why in the Bible He makes a big deal of telling the Israelites to set up stones of remembrance to REMIND themselves of God's character through what He's done for them. He protected them, rescued them, defended them, repeatedly forgave them and gave them another chance, provided for them, rallied them.....SAVED them. In Hebrews 13:8 we are told flat out that Jesus (part of the triune God- Father, Son, Holy Spirit) is the SAME...yesterday, today and FOREVER....so guess what. That means God will STILL protect us, rescue us, defend us, repeatedly forgive us and give us another chance, provide for us, rally us, and has already saved us. So to get the essence of joy? KNOW GOD'S CHARACTER.....His character proves that we are safe in His care...no matter what hell we are currently in....no matter if we understand or not...we don't NEED to understand....we just need to patiently endure.
Hebrews 10:35-36(NLT)So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you!Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised.
Psalm 40:1-3(NLT) I waited patiently for the Lord to help me, and he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the pit of despair,out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along. He has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see what he has done and be amazed.They will put their trust in the Lord.
Here are some links to verses to help you learn the character of God and some to help you get that essence of joy going in the face of adversity. ( Click on each reference to read the verse.)
This post is in response to the Sandy Hook school murders that occurred just a short drive away from where my own loved ones and I live. So please bear with me, this will be a long commentary as I just don't feel it is fair to the victims or their families to try and abridge the content. Murder is a horrible and tragic thing. It not only destroys the victims, but it also has within it the potential to destroy the lives of all the survivors left to try and wade through the deep waters of pain and senseless destruction. It is a stone dropped in a pool of water that will send ripples out for years to come. So what causes some people to cross the line and commit this vicious act that offers no chance of restoration for the victims? Well....I want to offer my thoughts on the matter from a spiritual perspective. Webster's Dictionary defines murder as "to kill (a human being) unlawfully and with premeditated malice." Hebrews 12:15 Webster's defines bitterness as "exhibiting intense animosity" After a toxic foundation has been set the very next emotion to be birthed is Hatred. This is where the bitter person begins to systematically remove the offending person from their life. At first they remove them emotionally, but next come the steps of physical removal. The next to last progression of emotion is Violence. Violence is anger in motion because it's no longer just in the heart and mind as an emotion, and it's not just spiritual....it's now physical. Bitterness is a systematic elimination of a human being or human beings that culminates in the final physical act. It is imperative that we realize the importance of why we must forgive. The world is filled with Murder, anarchy, division, Violence and Bitterness. It is in our nation, our churches, our families
and it is in our personal lives. We must not allow bitterness to take root in our lives. We must take steps to actively recognize it, face it and put a stop to it by offering forgiveness even when we are justified in our pain. Ephesians 6:12 Matthew 6:14-15 Please also remember one thing when dealing with your own issues. Although God wants you to have a heart towards resolution with the
people you have Bitterness against, if they do not respond to you
(because they have the root of Bitterness) then it is not
your problem. You have to come before God personally and get your
freedom. The resolution comes from God. Ephesians 4:31 Amplified Bible (AMP) Let all bitterness and indignation and wrath (passion, rage, bad temper) and quarreling (brawling, clamor, contention) and slander (evil-speaking, abusive or blasphemous language) he banished from you, with all malice (spite, ill will, or baseness of ay kind) Murder is not a random act....even though we may label it that way. Murder is actually a symptom of something much deeper and much more prevalent....bitterness. The root of murder is in unresolved bitterness that has been allowed to fester and grow deeper and deeper into the heart, mind and spirit of the perpetrator. Picture it like the branches on a tree. Bitterness is the hidden root system that sucks it's nutrients out of its surroundings. Just like a baby tree....if the root system is fed and watered...it will grow deeper and stronger over time and the visible evidence will branch off into any number of directions. Some of those branches are anger/wrath, gossip/character assassination, hatred, unforgiveness, resentment, retaliation/revenge,violence, murder and even insanity. When we come to grips with this basic understanding it will empower us to make better choices in our lives to prevent those branches from growing and thereby affecting not just ourselves, but many others who would be victims of our bitterness.
New Living Translation (NLT)
15 Look
after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God.
Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you,
corrupting many.
You know when you've been around a person who is bitter because you can feel it. It doesn't mean that person is evil, it just means there is an unresolved hurt(s) that over time has been fed and watered with feelings of justification. If a wound was inflicted and the person wronged can't remember the incident
without feeling a rush of anger, rage, disgust, slander, etc....that's a
sure sign bitterness is at root. So now that we understand what bitterness is, how does it progress into murder? I'm sure you're sitting there thinking..."well I've felt bitterness for something but I would NEVER murder anyone.." Well...let's dissect this step by step. What's the first emotion you deal with when somebody hurts you? Unforgiveness Unforgiveness comes when our thoughts replay a mental video of the offense over and over and over in our minds. It torments us the anger we feel as a result of that torment digs the root a little deeper. The next emotion after unforgiveness is Resentment. Resentment is the persistent nagging voice that anchors in the unforgiveness by reminding you that you were an innocent victim. It justifies the unforgiveness. The root grows deeper.
Next is Retaliation a.k.a. Revenge This is when things start to get dangerous. They wronged me, so I'll make them feel what I felt. Coupled with unforgiveness and justified resentment it is now becoming easier to shut off the internal gauge of right and wrong. When acted upon...it numbs the senses and the root grows even deeper. After these the process still isn't done...it just continues to intensify and get worse. Now something needs to happen to re-inforce all of the previous emotions. Anger and Wrath. See, all of the others to this point can snake relatively unseen below the surface, but anger is very visible. You NEVER have anger without the other three, because it is birthed out of the other three and cannot exist without having them to fuel it. The root grows deeper.
The final stage in this horrible chain of bitterness is the one that brings the most destruction not just physically, but in the hearts of the person hosting it. Murder.
New Living Translation (NLT)
12 For we[a]
are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil
rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in
this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.
Amplified Bible (AMP)
14 For if you forgive people their trespasses [their [a]reckless and willful sins, [b]leaving them, letting them go, and [c]giving up resentment], your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
15 But if you do not forgive others their trespasses [their [d]reckless and willful sins, [e]leaving them, letting them go, and [f]giving up resentment], neither will your Father forgive you your trespasses.
One year ago today I found myself unexpectedly dropped at the base of a spiritual mountain. It looked and felt insurmountable at the time.I had never been in that place before....never experienced what I was suddenly experiencing and several of the people I would normally have gone to for prayer and encouragement were no longer an option. I was in uncharted territory.
My immediate response was to forgive the people involved (Matthew 6:14-15)...I just could not afford to harbor bitterness. Hurt of course takes longer to heal...but I knew in order to get over the hurt later on I first had to forgive or I would get nowhere. So I did.
Next, I prayed....I immediately fell back on Luke 6:28....and I prayed blessings on all the people involved like I had never prayed blessings before.
Then I waited.............for three months I waited. I cried, I prayed....and I waited some more. Those closest to me like my husband and my friends and family prayed and encouraged me....and we ALL waited. There were times I wondered when God would show up....I never doubted that He WOULD act....I just didn't know when. I kept telling people that I knew there would come a time when I would be able to look back and say it was all worth it. I knew that no matter how much pain I was in...somewhere down the road it would be a war story that had a victorious ending....I just needed to stand firm and wait.
Let me tell you something....God showed up...just like the Bible says He will. Three months later, almost to the day, breakthrough showed up in a series of phone calls. In little ways along the journey God reminded me that He had already fought the battle for me, but at the end of that three month period He SHOWED me. GOD ALWAYS KEEPS HIS PROMISES.
I'm telling you readers this because I don't know what you're going through....but I do know God keeps His promises. If you keep seeking God and keep obeying what His word says to do when the enemy strikes....you WILL see victory...and I promise you, it will be better than anything you imagined...the blessings will be beyond words and all that you lost will be restored to greater than before. You may not have the same people in your life and the environment may have changed....but believe me....it will make what you lost, pale in comparison to what you have gained. How long will it take? I don't know, but God knows. Mine only took 3 months, yours may take a few days, a few months or a few years, but GOD ALWAYS KEEPS HIS PROMISES. So hang in there....don't give up your victory is coming.
Matthew 6:14-15
Amplified Bible (AMP)
14 For if you forgive people their trespasses [their [a]reckless and willful sins, [b]leaving them, letting them go, and [c]giving up resentment], your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
15 But if you do not forgive others their trespasses [their [d]reckless and willful sins, [e]leaving them, letting them go, and [f]giving up resentment], neither will your Father forgive you your trespasses.
Luke 6:28
Amplified Bible (AMP)
28 Invoke blessings upon and
pray for the happiness of those who curse you, implore God’s blessing
(favor) upon those who abuse you [who revile, reproach, disparage, and
high-handedly misuse you].
“Bless those who curse you, and pray over those who take you away by force.”
Ephesians 6:13
New Living Translation (NLT)
13 Therefore,
put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the
enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be
standing firm.
Romans 8:28
Amplified Bible (AMP)
28 We are assured and know that [[a]God being a partner in their labor] all things work together and are [fitting into a plan] for good to and for those who love God and are called according to [His] design and purpose.
1 Corinthians 2:9
New Living Translation (NLT)
9 That is what the Scriptures mean when they say,
“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.”[a]
1 Corinthians 15:57
Amplified Bible (AMP)
57 But thanks be to God, Who gives us the victory [making us conquerors] through our Lord Jesus Christ.
A
rather interesting quote from a man who was made famous because of his
silence, don't you think? Makes me wonder about the lessons he must have
learned from being so silent and just watching and listening as he mimed his way through a career and life. As I read
that quote I was reminded of an experience we had at our street ministry a few years ago.
On
this particular Saturday, I was behind the table serving soup and one
of our volunteers at that time was standing near me serving the drinks.
This was a beautiful warm
day so the water was especially in demand. As I waited for the next
person in line to reach me, I glanced over to see one of our regular
ladies approaching the drinks. She has a very sweet and childlike spirit
due to mental illness, but heavy
medication tends to make her twitch with nervous laughter and talk to
herself.....a lot....and loudly.
Usually though, the things she says make us laugh because they
are the things a 5 year old would say, blunt and yet, innocent. She
has very curly blonde hair, which she usually lets go wild and bushy.
She wears almost every
piece of jewelry she has ever owned and odd clothing combinations on her
wisp thin frame as
well as about five layers of nail polish, all of which are chipped and
peeling.
I personally find her crazy irreverence completely
endearing...she makes me smile, and I always look forward to seeing her,
however not everyone feels the way I do. This particular day I watched
as she approached the table quietly
muttering to herself, and then I suddenly felt a twinge in my stomach
because I knew who would be handing her the water. Now the particular
volunteer who was handing out the water that day is a very kind man who
loves the Lord and is always looking for ways and place to serve the
church and God. A man of honor and a man of deep faith, but a man who
sometimes struggles with the "unlovely" nature of street people. I
quickly looked at
him just in time to see him scanning her up and down and curling his lip
at her current state. I was so hurt inside I wanted to lash out at him
and tell him to get off the serving line if he couldn't treat her with
respect. However, inside my heart I heard God tell me to keep quiet and
watch what would happen next.
Just then as I saw her
reach for a cup and he quickly pulled his hand away, then suddenly her
previously inaudible muttering became loud enough for those listening to
hear. I watched in amazement as she looked him
square in the eye and in a solid and non-medicated voice she quoted him
the Bible verse, "..And if anyone gives
even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my
disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward."
Just then she took a sip and walked away and was gone for the day.
I
wanted to start crying as I watched that volunteer's eyes get big and follow her as
she disappeared into the crowd. God is sooooooooo GOOD, and He always
gets His point across far better than we ever could. Had I lashed out at
him, I would have set a bad example for all the people around me, both
behind and in front of the table. I wouldn't have gained anything, but
instead, would have lost the trust and respect of so many who need us to
be gentle with them, and learn from our example. I also wouldn't have
made the point to this young man as well as God was able to, through the
vessel of a rambling street woman, the very one who should have been offended by his
actions the most.
At
times pride and lack of understanding can cause all of us to struggle
with an intense aversion towards a lot of
the very people we are called to minister to. It doesn't mean we're bad
people or even bad Christians, it just means that's an area where we need to
grow. Let's face it....these
people are glaringly different than what we're used to, they don't speak
the way we speak, they don't act the way we act, and they don't dress
or smell the way we do. However, they need someone, anyone, to show them
love
and acceptance in a wounded lonely life where they have had little to no
genuine kindness or affection. They are in fact, the entire
reason we are out there...and to the heart of God...the smells of urine,
sweat, dirt, cigarette smoke and alcohol are the sweet perfume of a
hungry heart.....sweet enough that He gave His son for them.
I'm glad I kept my mouth shut that day, and let God work, He really does handle those
situations so much better than we would.
