There are moments in your life that you meet new people. When you meet these people, they can either enrich your life or destroy it. As Christians we become consumed with the ideal of helping someone. It becomes such a passion, desire or obssesion, that we loose factor what it means to fellowship: We spend time with like minded people.
When you trap yourself in a wooden box, by that I mean a house, you loose factor who you can be meeting up with. We loose the ability to communicate with people eye to eye. There is something beautiful watching their facial movement when they speak about something that has inspired them. Standing in front of someone, speaking to them eye to eye, you are forced to listen to them.
I believe that is the reason why Jesus did not appear in this time and age to lead us, to inspire us. He, our Father, knew we would be the one generation with thick wax that cover our ears and heavy dark shades to hide our eyes. Our hearts, still young and full of life, would feel trapped and plugged into our social network. We have grown to accept that people must live in a box, because how would they be able to communicate if it not for the television or phone? How could they talk to us, if they couldn't write in horrible grammer and quick letters?
Like most of us, I think of Jesus as the person smiling and walking with people, possibly playing with children. We always want to remember Jesus as the man of suffering that transformed into the Lord that rose into the heavens, yet that isn't what Jesus wanted us to see. If he wanted us to see his suffering, he would have appeared to the world on the cross and his torment would begin and last for thirty years. It is far easier to believe in a God that suffered for us than a God that loved us. As flesh toting humans, we believe that suffering is the path to righteousness. We want to believe that we will suffer for a certain amount of time only to gain a reward. Christians, like most religions, believe that we all will suffer but will gain a reward in heaven.
I think of God as a kind parent that gives you a gift everyday. A man who loves his children enough to teach them a lesson by punishing them, yet cries when they are in pain. Like most parents, I may not be reffering to parents in this generation, he wants us to be happy and will give us gifts everyday along with lessons.
The one gift God sent me today was a conversation with an elderly gent named Ron. A man in the golden age of seventy, with a heart of gold and enough money to get himself a coffee. We spoke about the current events of the shut down to government, the love of our Christ and the troubles he faced.
Since I gained a job at Suddenlink and have more money in my pocket then I did the other day, I felt as though I should offer the man a meal or something. I felt that I should help him out some way. However, God had other plans; He told me to rest, enjoy my soda and speak with the man. I knew then that God was offering me a gift. A chance to speak with someone that could inspire me.
Charlie and I had a laugh afterwards because the man assumed that I was married to her, but in fact we are brother and sister. We continued the charade because Ron couldn't hear that well and seemed to not have his memory that he had in his youth. He spoke loudly which meant Charlie and I had to speak loudly. This meant that everyone in the resturant of McDs could hear our conversation on how God loves us so much and how God has a plan for our lives. That, in itself, was a gift.
The only regret I have was when I shook the man's hand and told him my name. I said the words: I hope and pray things turn out good for you. It is the very phrase that all of us use to someone that we believe is less fortunate than we are. I have always hated that phrase, but I used it on impulse. But, if I didn't use those exact words, Ron wouldn't have said his next sentence and God wouldn't have put me in my place.
"I don't have to wonder if good things will happen to me, young man, I know. I have God carrying me at the moment."
Out of the world of assuming and thinking, Ron knew that God was going to give him a gift everyday because he knows his father.
I pray for you Ron and I hope all of you readers out there say a prayer for the stocky elderly gent traveling around in a truck and in God's grace.
--Night
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