When I walked into my office this morning, there was a crisp $20 bill on my desk. Puzzled, I asked my assistant Carol if she knew where the money had come from. Carol smiled and said, “That’s an interesting story, Scott. This morning when I arrived at the office, there was a nice-looking young man in the reception area. He asked if you were here. When I told him it would be an hour or so before you arrived, he reached into his pocket, pulled out a $20 bill and handed it to me. He said that you had given him some money several years ago, and that he promised he would repay you. He said to tell you he had a great job now and to thank you. Then he left.” As Carol talked, I suddenly recalled meeting that young man. Late one Saturday night, I had been leaving the church office after putting the finishing touches on a sermon. As I turned out the lights and walked toward the door, I saw the silhouette of a man standing on the steps. I opened the door cautiously, and the man turned to meet me. For a moment our eyes met, and I heard him say, “Pastor, I need some help. My car is nearly out of gas, and I’ve got to get to Austin tonight. Could you lend me some money? I promise I’ll pay you back.” How many times have I heard that line? I thought, and I mentally formulated my reply: “The office is closed. There’s nothing I can do.” At the same time, I felt my hand reach for my billfold. Pulling out what I thought was a $5 bill, I realized too late that I was handing him a twenty. I wished him luck, we parted and the man melted into the night. While I had quickly forgotten that moment long ago, he had remembered. And now I could only be thankful that God’s Spirit had shut my mouth and guided my hand to my pocket.
READ: Isaiah 11: 1-5
How many times have I encountered a similar situation and ended up not giving anything? Of course, we must be careful, and we cannot always give something to everyone, but... there's always God, isn't there? I mean, what about asking God what He thinks we should do, and then just do it? Sometimes, what we consider to be interruptions or inconveniences may actually be God giving us opportunities to serve Him by serving others. It all boils down to knowing what God wants us to do before we possibly do the opposite!
Consider how you might do things a bit differently this week...
- How might I "step out" and do something I might not normally do?
- What role does God play in my decisions? Now? From now on?
The Bible tells us that perhaps we might be entertaining angels without being aware of it - perhaps the situation(s) we will find ourselves in this week might just be a part of God's plan for us to be reaching out to help others, to serve God by serving other people. Who knows!
PRAYER
God, may I always err on the side of grace as I give your love to others.
Amen.
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