Philippians 4:4-7
4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understand, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
I told myself I wouldn't blog about this, but I know it's only perfect for the subject. Before I dive into this one, I will not take any credit or pride in this story. The only thing I want is glory to be given to the Lord.
Tonight, my wife and I made a run to Dairy Queen for a Birthday Eve treat. As we were driving along, we noticed a man holding a sign at the top of our exit. It was at least 29 degrees and he had a shaved head. We immediately turned to one another, wanting to do something for him. So, we decided to go to Dollar General and try to purchase a toboggan and maybe a few little things to help him out. Turns out, all they had were kids toboggans (I suppose adult heads do not get cold). After searching the store for a few minutes we decided to leave and pick up some dinner for him. We drove and got our treats and then headed to McDonald's, which was about 200 to 300 yards from this man.
All the while, I am thinking thoughts like, "Is this really a good idea?", "I am in shorts and I am going to freeze", "What if that guy pulls a gun on me", "What will people think if I am walking out there to him?"...and so forth. So we purchased a burger, fries, and a drink and I parked the truck. I looked at Shelley and said "I love you".
As I opened the door and took my first few steps of the 250 yard trek, I began to feel a comfortable peace around me. I was anxious up until this point. I had been warned all my life to stay away from people like this because of the harm they might do...and it's true, some people may intend to do harm. As I closed in on him, the sun was almost completely settled and it was growing dark. Cars were passing and stopping nearby at lights. It didn't bother me at all. I had one mission...to share what the Lord had blessed me with, with this man. A stranger.
I approached him and explained my intent and offered the free meal and he gladly accepted. I asked about his story and why he was out there. Traffic passing by prevented me from hearing everything that was said, but I knew that God was well aware of his past, present, and his future. Through conversation, I closed the meeting out by asking if I could pray for him. Harry said, "sure".
So, here I was, in the protection of the Lord, off of an exit from the interstate with traffic all around, in 30 degree weather...with a perfect stranger...in prayer. Just a couple of weeks ago, I had blogged about praying in ways that put us in a position of humbleness and uncomfortable settings. While I intended in that blog to have prayer like that in solitude with just the Lord, it seems so applicable in this scenario. Glass all around from car wrecks, 30 degrees, loud traffic, darkness, and a stranger...definitely and humbling experience.
These verses hit me hard tonight...in a good way. I sometimes feel that most of the Bible is made up of do's and don'ts and rules to follow. While that is true (thankfully), there is so much more to it.
- While I was sharing my possessions and time with Harry, the Lord was near (v.5)
- As soon as I set out to meet him and share with him, my anxiety and nervousness disappeared (v.6)
- In prayer and conversation, I was surrounded in a peaceful protection that only God could provide (v.7)
In hindsight, I am so thankful for the opportunity to share with Harry if only for a brief moment. I am also thankful that God is a loving God who promises to take care of His people. We felt a calling to reach out to Harry and in faith I knew that I would be okay. Could Harry have pulled a gun or a blade on me and killed me dead on the asphalt? Absolutely he could have. I have a peace with God, that if that were to happen, I would be living eternally with the Lord. That would be the best way to go out...to die for the One who died for me! (Although, I would greatly miss many people and mostly my wife).
In closing tonight, again...I take no credit for what my wife and I did tonight. All glory belongs to God as He watched over and cared for me. Verse 4 is so simple and so true right now: Rejoice in the Lord always! I pray that Harry will rejoice in the Lord for the 2 minutes that not only was shared with a stranger who gave him a meal out of love, but the love that was shared through God. Maybe he doesn't know the Lord. Maybe I should have tried to take the conversation to a deeper level instead of just simply praying for him and buying him dinner. Or maybe, what the Lord did through me was just a seed planted. I pray that the seed will grow and truth will find it's way into Harry life.
I realize that Matthew 6:1-4 instructs us not to announce our gifts to the needy. My intentions here are not to brag or boast...as that is the reason I was hesitate to not blog about this in the first place. I feel that maybe this experience will motivate you to take that step out of your comfort zone and help those around you. Local missions exist within our lives...whether through an "organization" or simply by taking a leap of faith.
Praise be to God...
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