An Encounter With Grace
Today was bad, by most people's standards. It started at 6:30 this morning, taking the cats in for shots, microchips, and getting "fixed", rushing to get home before Loren left for Oregon for three days. It only went downhill from there, as we got more bad news from the mechanic, to the tune of over $400. Lily screamed and defied. I went through the juggling act of potty training, babysitting, and trying to medicate myself through the cycle of migraines I've been fighting for weeks, fielding phone calls from my doctor trying to schedule a neurologist referral. By the time I was on the way back from the vet, following yet-another tantrum from the two year old, I was queen of my own pity party, bemoaning finances, toddlers, and full time ministry. My prayer was simple: "Lord, redeem this day."
The answer was unexpected. As I pulled into McDonald's for my cop-out-dad's-out-of-town-dinner, a homeless man stumbled trying to step up onto the sidewalk, and lay sprawled on the frigid concrete. The first car whizzed by, oblivious to this invisible man. I pulled alongside him, compelled to stop. I was able to get out, help him up, and start to talk to him. He said he was okay, that I should just take care of my car, and that he didn't want to go to Union Gospel Mission. I asked a couple times if I could buy him dinner; reluctantly, he agreed.
I rushed through the drive through line, scouring my car for anything more I could offer him than a couple of Big Macs. My search turned up two hand warmers, a card for the mission, and five dollars in cash. I couldn't help but think of the loaves and the fishes.
Loot in hand, I made my way back to where he waited. Approaching him, I offered my pathetic gift and asked if I could pray for him. He told me his name was "Henry," said conversationally that he prayed all the time but I was welcome to pray for him too. I put my arm around his dirty frame and asked God to fill him with peace, comfort, and a saving knowledge of Him. Afterward, I reminded him of Christ's love (which he affirmed that some days was all he had), told him to take care of himself, and left the parking lot. As I pulled back into traffic, I burst into tears. This same street, traveled only a few minutes before, seemed so different. I drove a warm car, dressed in warm clothes, with my (relative) health and the family that loves me.
It's easy to pray for comfort. "Lord, bless my marriage." "Lord, help with our finances." "Lord, restore my health." I pray, though, that each of you would have your eyes opened afresh to not only how incredibly, obscenely blessed each of us already is, but also to how little those around us have. May we never be a People that reduce our Christian call to going to church on Sundays, patting those brave enough to venture out into the world on the back and labeling them missionaries. And perhaps, in doing so, we would not need to have the Henrys of the world fall in our path in the midst of our pity parties, but that instead we would seek them out, anxious to share our time, our resources, and the love of Christ.
Humbled and Broken at His Extravagant Grace,
Megan
The answer was unexpected. As I pulled into McDonald's for my cop-out-dad's-out-of-town-dinner, a homeless man stumbled trying to step up onto the sidewalk, and lay sprawled on the frigid concrete. The first car whizzed by, oblivious to this invisible man. I pulled alongside him, compelled to stop. I was able to get out, help him up, and start to talk to him. He said he was okay, that I should just take care of my car, and that he didn't want to go to Union Gospel Mission. I asked a couple times if I could buy him dinner; reluctantly, he agreed.
I rushed through the drive through line, scouring my car for anything more I could offer him than a couple of Big Macs. My search turned up two hand warmers, a card for the mission, and five dollars in cash. I couldn't help but think of the loaves and the fishes.
Loot in hand, I made my way back to where he waited. Approaching him, I offered my pathetic gift and asked if I could pray for him. He told me his name was "Henry," said conversationally that he prayed all the time but I was welcome to pray for him too. I put my arm around his dirty frame and asked God to fill him with peace, comfort, and a saving knowledge of Him. Afterward, I reminded him of Christ's love (which he affirmed that some days was all he had), told him to take care of himself, and left the parking lot. As I pulled back into traffic, I burst into tears. This same street, traveled only a few minutes before, seemed so different. I drove a warm car, dressed in warm clothes, with my (relative) health and the family that loves me.
It's easy to pray for comfort. "Lord, bless my marriage." "Lord, help with our finances." "Lord, restore my health." I pray, though, that each of you would have your eyes opened afresh to not only how incredibly, obscenely blessed each of us already is, but also to how little those around us have. May we never be a People that reduce our Christian call to going to church on Sundays, patting those brave enough to venture out into the world on the back and labeling them missionaries. And perhaps, in doing so, we would not need to have the Henrys of the world fall in our path in the midst of our pity parties, but that instead we would seek them out, anxious to share our time, our resources, and the love of Christ.
Humbled and Broken at His Extravagant Grace,
Megan
posted by The Bakers at 5:44 PM
3 Comments:
Thank you for your honesty and your fervancy for Christ. The Lord never ceases to remind us of His mercies each day and how much He longs for us to reach out to the "unloveable"...I love this quote "God is not safe, God is Good!"
Thanks for the reminder Meagan. But for the Grace of God goes all of us. I pray that the encounter with you will be the catalyst of a new life for Henry and that he will have his own story to tell of God's grace, beginning with that day that a young woman took the time to be used by God to love him. Someone who in our eyes is quite unlovable. Again thanks for the reminder to look through His eyes.
Awesome!
God bless you, kid.
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