I was driving down to my mom’s one day last week and it was raining. And cold, damp.. pretty miserable. And as I was driving down Rte 1 (sorry… UP…) I passed an older man walking on the side of the road, in the rain, no umbrella, no hat, carrying what looked like a lunch box/bag. Probably walking to work… I assumed.
And I felt this inner prompting……
Jamie, stop and ask him if he’d like a lift somewhere. It’s a bad day for him to have to be walking.
I could argue that it’s hard to hear God’s voice, and that He does not speak to you… but we all know that is not always true and I know the conversation that I had those few moments in the car were with God, prompted by His Spirit. And really, it went something like this..
me: ‘ask him for a lift? seriously? me?
God: Yes you, stop your car and ask him for a lift.”
me: but God, you know these days it’s not safe to do that, I have kids in my car, what if he’s crazy?
God: (heard this very clearly), I will keep you safe, ask him for a lift
Me: (as I kept driving), well maybe he wants to be walking God, some people like that sort of thing
God: You really think he wants to be out for a walk on a day like today?
Me: um, good point
God: So?
Me: I don’t know him Lord, really?
God: he has a story, and you don’t know what it is, you don’t know what is really going on this life, of all the burden that he carries on his shoulders as he walks to work, but you can know if you help him
me: I can’t do it.. I’m scared. I don’t know what would happen if I were to stop and ask him, that is OUTSIDE of my comfort zone God. I like my comfort zone!
So, I did not stop, but I felt a sadness in my own being that I was not able to obey, that I was too afraid of being bold, that I was so full of excuses. And the passage in the New Testament where Jesus’ reminds his disciples that ‘that which you do for the LEAST of THESE, YOU DO UNTO ME” and I realized all of what I missed that day by driving past that man.
I missed seeing Jesus.
I missed showing my kids Jesus
I missed being like Jesus
I missed… big time
And how many other times am I missing because I am too afraid to be bold in serving Christ?
I don’t know if I really should have stopped or not for that man. I know stopping for anyone on the side of the road these days is not smart, I know it can be a risk. Helping people we don’t know is always a risk isn’t ? And my kids were in the car with me and the last thing I would want to do is to put them in danger
But, even more then wanting to keep them safe, I want them to see Jesus.
To see Jesus in the eyes of the elderly
To see Jesus in the faces of the orphans
To see Jesus in the smiles of the homeless and the cries of babies and the meekness of those suffering.
I want them to see Jesus.
I am praying that God will give me opportunities to be bold in serving him and in knowing him and in loving him. And that I will NOT get in the way of Asher and Hannah seeing Jesus as they too learn to serve and to love.
How is the Spirit prompting you to serve Christ?
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