Last Friday I missed an opportunity. It was grocery shopping day (my least favorite thing to do). I had a lot of things to accomplish so I was rushing through trying to gather everything so I could move on to the next item on my "to do" list. As I was coming to the end of the store, I noticed a young man in the isle that I was in. At first glance, he looked kind of scruffy. I continued on to the next isle. He came into the next isle, and for some reason I began to try and discreetly study him and his actions. He looked like he wasn't feeling well. Truth be told, to me he looked like he was coming down off of a high. Shaky, twitchy, shifty. I watched as he carefully, with shaking hands, lifted canned food off the shelf, looked at it, looked at the price, and then put it back. He did this over and over. Selecting the cheapest items he could find to keep.
I continued on to the next isle. I'm getting the feeling that this young man needs some food, but doesn't have very much money, if any at all, to pay for it. I began to feel an enormous amount of compassion for him. My heart was moved to help him out. However, fear seeped in as well. I had a silent argument with myself- What if I offered to help him buy food and I offended him? What if I had misread the situation? What if I embarrass myself? Should I even give him money? On and on. Finally, I decided that I would take the chance of embarrassing myself and possibly this young man, rather than let him go hungry. I dug around to find what cash I had in my purse and turned around to go find him. I looked and looked. I circled the store for 15 minutes looking for him. I couldn't find him. At this point I'm almost in tears in the middle of the store. I decide to quickly gather my last few items and head to the check out line. I was hoping to get through the line quickly and maybe catch him out in the parking lot. Outside, there was no sign of this young man.
"I believe God wants us to love others so much that we go to extremes to help them." Francis Chan
I never found him, and I continued on with my day, but my heart was heavy. I don't know for sure what was going on in this young man's life, but I can't shake the feeling that I missed an opportunity. All because I let doubt and fear slow me down. I was/and still am so disappointed with myself.
"To often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around."
"Some people are hurting so bad you have to do more than preach a message to them. You have to BE a message to them."
I truly believe that it is my responsibility to bless others. Not only financially, but with my time, my prayers, a smile, an encouraging word, whatever I can do. I love the following verse:
"May the master pour on the love so it fills your lives and splashes over on everyone around you."
1 Thessalonians 3:12
It so describes how I feel about my life. It describes how I want to be, so full of God's love that it just spills out all over the place. I have times of wonder.... I stop and look around at my life. God has blessed me abundantly, overwhelmingly, and beyond what I could have ever dreamed. And, I just want to share it. But, even feeling this way, I often fail.
"Some believe that it is only great power that can hold evil in check, but that is not what I have found. I found it's the small things. Every day deeds by ordinary folk that keeps the darkness at bay." Gandolf, Lord of the Rings
"Never worry about numbers. Help one person at a time, and always start with the person nearest you. " Mother Teresa
I fail because I doubt. Other times, it seems like the needs out there are so big, so many, that I become overwhelmed. After all, I am just one person. What if what I have to offer isn't enough? What if I screw it up? It also means that I have to open myself up to the possibility of being taken advantage of. Not everyone who I help out may "deserve" it. But you see, the point isn't whether or not the help is deserved. The point is this:
"I want people to see Christ in me. I don't even care if they know my name as long as they get to know my God."
So, I'm going to keep trying. I'll probably fail more often than not. But here's my challenge to myself and to you:
1. Pray that God will help me (and You) to see others through His eyes and not our own.
2. Be the kind of person that makes others feel special. Be known for Kindness and empathy.
3. Do what I can and let God do the rest.
4. Finally, and most importantly:
"Most of all, let love guide your life." Col 3:14
I'll leave you with a few engravings found at Arlington national Cemetery:
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