Surprised by A Heart of Service

Have you ever done something nice for somebody that is a perfect stranger, something unexpected, and watched his or her reaction?  It is a very interesting experiment and a slightly sad one too.  Interesting because it shocks people that you would take the time to do something nice and sad because it shocks people that you would take the time to do something nice. 

Let me give you a few illustrations, not to toot my own horn but to make my point. 

On the way home from work today, I went by the ultimate holiday fun house which I will call Wal-Mart.  I needed to get some liquid sinus medicine for my son because he has a cold.  While I was on that aisle there was an older gentleman in one of the store scooters.  He was on his phone talking to his wife asking, rather loudly, what that medicine was that he was supposed to get so he would stop coughing.  She replied Mucinex D, which he repeated for me and half of Wal-Mart to hear.  He then proceeded to scoot down that aisle and head for the pharmacy counter to ask them for help.  I decided to do my Momma proud and find what he needed and bring it to him.  So after locating the right brand, right strength, right quantity and right flavor, I grabbed a box that was on the upper shelf and went on my mission.  I turned the corner and he was still on the phone so I held out the box in front of his face until it caught his attention.  When he looked up, I said “Is this what you were looking for?”  His startled reply was “Yes” and then he began telling his wife about the nice young man who found it for him.  I said you’re welcome and went on my way.  All told it took me about 47 seconds, but I believe it meant a lot to him. 

My second example happened last week when the uncommon cold temperatures and gusty winds blew into town.  I was driving home from work and cutting through a store parking lot when I noticed a lady standing by her car with a flat rear tire, the trunk open and on a cell phone.  I called my wife and told her what I was going to do and then swung back around to see if I could help.  She was on the phone with her dad who was but a short distance away but it was literally about 32 degrees out and windy so I jumped out to help.  Her dad showed up and together he and I got the tire changed in about 10 minutes.   When I stood up she had a $20 bill in her hand to attempt to pay me.  I said that I didn’t need any money and that I would hope someone would do the same for my wife or mom.  Away I drove. 

The last example is one my wife told me about.  She and a friend went shopping on Black Friday for reasons I know not of.  They were at Target at about 6 am, which I am told is a madhouse.  They came across an elderly lady in a store scooter that was broken down.  (At this point I immediately thought of a car stuck in the middle lane of I-285 that runs around Atlanta with traffic flying by on either side.)  Anyway, my wife asked if she could help the lady.  She said that she didn’t know much about the scooters but was having trouble walking.  So my wife determined that the scooter was out of battery and then went to the service desk to let someone know so the lady wouldn’t try walking in the store and fall.  When my wife went back to tell the lady that the customer service manager was bringing a different scooter to her, she was amazed and thankful.  The two women began to talk about how nice it was for a young person to take time and help two old ladies.  My wife went on her way. 

The point to all that is this: when did we as a society get so busy that we lost our sense of kindness and selflessness?  I believe as Christians that these little moments are what shape us and mark us as believers.  They are opportunities to live out our faith in a very real way and in a way that impacts others.  It may not be as dramatic as sinking a well in a remote village in Africa or taking a mission trip to the Amazon, but it is something that each of us can do every day.  It is something that we can do at very little cost to ourselves and the benefits are great.

It felt good to help that lady with her tire and I hope that she told someone about it.  It made me happy to help that old man with his medicine and I hope that he and his wife had it a little easier tonight.  It made my wife feel good to be able to help that elderly lady and it made an impression on them that morning. 

I hope that in some small way by being kind and gentle and giving to others they can go on with their lives and realize that there are some people out there who care about others and maybe they will go and do the same things. 

 

 

You Just Had to Be There…

So about two weeks ago was the Thanksgiving holiday.  In my opinion, Thanksgiving is one of the best days of the year because you can eat with reckless abandon all in the name of thankfulness!  In fact it is and insult to the cooks if you do not try some of everything. 

So I did my best on Thursday to eat my fill at both places I went that day.  For lunch, we went to my in-laws house.  We enjoyed a ham, corn-casserole, green-bean casserole, and my wife’s made from scratch cornbread dressing, hot rolls, sweet tea and two types of pies for dessert. Around five o’clock, we headed to my parents house for round two.  My almost 90-year-old grandmother was staying with my parents this week and she and my mom got a little carried away cooking.  There we had a hot from the oven turkey, spiral sliced ham, mashed potatoes and gravy, sweet potatoes, macaroni and cheese, Jell-O salad, pink salad, corn, rolls and choice of beverage.  For dessert we had apple pie, pumpkin pie, banana bread and pumpkin bread.  (For the record, I ran out of room for dessert…)

My question is this: after reading all that, do you feel satisfied and full, as if you were there?  No you don’t, because you had to be there. 

Following Jesus can be like this at times.  Ronnie’s second point Sunday was that “following Christ means seeking the shepherd, not watching the sheep.”  I took this a little differently than maybe it was intended but the point here is valid.  There is a wealth of Christian material out there that we can use to learn about God.  There are amazing pastors that have a heart for teaching and I love to learn from them.  There are amazingly talented singers and musicians that can stir our souls with their lyrics and harmonies.  There are books that are thought provoking and profound.  There are conferences you can attend and teachers you can follow.  But much like my describing my Thanksgiving meal doesn’t fill you up, these things above are no substitute for sitting at the feet of Jesus in prayer and digging into the Word on our own. 

Sometimes I think we are too busy ‘watching the sheep’ to hear from the Shepherd.  Understand, there is nothing wrong with any of these things as tools to help you on your Christian walk, but used to the exclusion of a personal time with the Savior, they are hollow and empty. 

Jesus told us to follow Him.  At times this is difficult.  Sometimes it is hard to see things that are applicable to my situation when I read the Bible.  That doesn’t mean they aren’t there.  It just means I need to dig a little deeper, pray a little harder and wait for the Lord to speak to me.  I have never been disappointed in seeking God this way.

I would encourage you to make sure you are spending time with the One that all the books and music and sermons are about.  Allow Him to speak to you directly and be amazed at the sound of His voice.

Now if you will excuse me, I have to go get something to eat, all that talk about food really made me hungry!

Father, give us a hunger and a desire for the real thing, for You.  Create a thirst in us for your voice and for your leading.  Remove all the distractions that would hinder us from hearing your voice.  Help us to walk obediently with you and to follow your leading as the Good Shepherd.  In Jesus Name, Amen.    

Following Christ Through the Highs and Lows

You cannot stay where you are and follow Christ.

We enjoy being comfortable.  Flannel sheets in the wintertime, cushy recliners, heated seats and breakfast in bed.  HDTV’s, remote control, microwaves and delivered pizzas.  Comfort is nice when you can get it. 

But the Christian life is not about comfort--it is about obedience.  In my own life the times I have been most obedient to God’s voice, I have been the least comfortable.  In fact, many times I have been sick to my stomach and scared to death, but knowing that I was walking in full obedience to the Father’s will for me.

In a recent sermon, my Pastor mentioned repeatedly that the Christian life is a journey.  If you have ever been on any type of journey you know that things don’t always go as you planned.  A journey is filled with highs and lows and ups and downs.  Sometimes you make it there unscathed but often you end up with some bumps and scrapes along the way.  The one thing that is true of all journeys is that they start with a destination in mind.  Rarely does one strike out on a journey without knowing where they want to end up.  What makes the low points of the journey tolerable is the hope that you will make it to your destination and the excitement you will feel when you get there. 

The journey of the Christian life can be a tough one.  Especially when its course doesn’t quite follow the route you expected to take.  Jesus said that if we followed Him we should expect difficulties.  I think He did this so we wouldn’t be surprised but would start our journey with the right mindset and an awareness of the difficulties to come.  

You may find yourself in a difficult time right now.  You may be miles away from where you wanted to be.  I know I am.  My life is way different than I expected it to be.  Sometimes it gets me down.  But in the last few years, God has taught me to rely fully on Him.  He is all I have left.  He has taught me the joy in praying for the strength and means to get through the day.  He has taught me to enjoy the blessings I have been given for THIS DAY, blessings like the love of my wife, the adoration of my children and the respect of my friends and family. 

My journey may be different than yours, but one thing is the same.  We must keep our eyes on Christ.  He is at the conclusion of every Christian’s journey.  We must desire a closer walk with Him no matter what the circumstances.   We must see our difficulties as a way that God molds us into the image of Jesus.  We must endeavor to finish the race well and to seek the things that will last for eternity.   We must be willing to leave where we are in order to get up and follow Christ.

Father, help me to be strong.  In this Christian life that is often not easy, help me to follow your unseen hand and rely on your Spirit’s leading.  Thank you for shaping me into the image of Christ, even though the tools you use often bring pain.  Thank you for the promise that one-day I will stand in your presence and worship you face to face.  Continue to beckon me onward as I walk with you.  In Jesus name, Amen.