Surprised by Kindness

 

Monday, May 31, 2021

Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.  Romans 12:10

Elizabeth and I were on a mission several years ago.  We were hunting-down a larger cooler for grocery shopping.  The store we favor is a 30 minute drive and, when the thermometer tops 90°, it’s not good to have your veggies and frozen fish melting in the trunk.  Our pitiful little cooler was hardly big enough to hold a dozen eggs and head of lettuce.  This was a must-accomplish task!

One of the chief characteristics of people who laser-focus on a task ahead is how they’re so surprised when they discover the task has already been accomplished.  That’s me; guilty as charged! 

Here’s how it happened:

On roughly the 189^th store we entered that day (I’m normally good for 2) we found what we’d found 188 times before…not a cooler that came close to what we wanted.  On the way out we saw it; a lady had the best cooler ever in the check-out line.  Elizabeth walked up to her and asked where they kept those prized little gems.  I couldn’t hear, but I saw the lady shake her head “no”.  They talked a few moments (while I figited, figuring this meant we would head for store #190 shortly).  Then, the lady picked up the cooler and handed it to Elizabeth.

YES!  189 stores and no more!  I was about to pick up my bride and twirl her in that romantic dance move all around the check-out area; we had prevailed, accomplished the mission.  That’s when Elizabeth unveiled the surprise.  The lady was about to purchase the last cooler in the store; it was on sale, for a ridiculously-low price, and had released the coveted trophy into our keeping with these words:  here – you take it.  I already have one, and you need it.

I was shocked to a standstill.  I felt like Moses; I wanted to take off my shoes and stay at this holy ground burning bush forever.  Where, o where, was that kind of kindness found anymore?  I wanted to run after that woman and sit at her feet like the disciples on the Mount of Transfiguration.  This was a miracle.

Now, that sounds like a good cue for the swell of heartwarming music at the ending of a Hallmark movie – but it’s just the beginning. 

Since that day, whenever it’s grocery store day, as I’m loading ice or groceries in the cooler, or wheeling the little igloo into the house for unloading, or cleaning it out afterward, I think of that woman’s kindness.  Truth be told, I cannot remember what she looked like or the sound of her voice, but the kindness, simply setting her own wishes aside so she could bless a couple of strangers….well that speaks so loudly to my soul I can never get the image out of my heart!

For You Today

As a pastor I’ve heard from many believers, followers of Jesus Christ, that they don’t know how to be a witness for Jesus; it’s a daunting task that requires too much risk or personal theological expertise.  It’s just above my pay-grade, pastor!

Well, can you let go of your hold on the cooler?  Can you let someone go ahead of you in the line?  Can you smile at the poor woman behind the counter at the Vehicle Tag office?  If you will give that a whirl, when it comes to being a disciple, a witness for Jesus, you’ll find you’ve got a lot more game than you thought! 

Go ahead – BE the Surprise!

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day!   

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[1] Title Image: Pixabay.com   Unless noted, Scripture quoted from The New Living Translation^©

Living Peacefully

[i]

Monday, August 1, 2016

Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.  Romans 12:18^(NLT)

I posted a devotion last week about the Western Jurisdiction’s election of a lesbian as their new bishop.  Generally speaking, most people have strong feelings when it comes to human sexuality.  This is certainly a case in point.

In reading the backlash over that election this week I came across an article by The Rev. Mary K. (Sellon) Huycke, lead delegate for the Jurisdiction, describing what led to the decision to elect (as she terms) an out bishop.  Her well-written, thought-provoking editorial speaks to understanding the nature of conflict which moves into mayhem when people have their minds made-up, and are in no mood to consider the other person’s point of view.  Using John Wesley’s “Do No Harm” as a mantra, she encouraged people, both at General Conference and the Western Jurisdictional meeting to do just that – do no harm to each other, or our beloved Methodist connection. 

She writes:

I realized very quickly at General Conference that, when it comes to human sexuality, there is no agreement about what is “good.”  Each side’s “good” feels like harm to the other.  Traditionalists and progressives alike fear for their ministries and the very life of their churches, should the other “side” prevail.[ii]

What Rev. Huycke described is a puzzle that just won’t be put together because the pieces despise each other.  The idea of doing no harm has no place at our table because when people hold convictions this deeply on both sides, one side (or both) are going to bleed after the dust settles.

Although the thesis of Rev. Huycke’s argument appears spot-on, I do believe it belies the bigger picture of God’s long view.  His ways are, after all, higher than ours![iii]

The apostle Paul applies in human relationships God’s higher thoughts and ways:

Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.  Romans 12:10^(NLT)

While this just seems to prove Rev. Huycke’s issue – that there is no love in this battle and people are being cast aside – what if it really speaks of highlighting just how perfectly God’s will is being worked out?

Human conflicts can illustrate this.  When a child is disciplined there is an immediate sense of sadness or hostility (or both), and, for a while there may be estrangement between the parent and child.  But if the discipline is appropriate in its scope and delivery by the parent, and the child eventually responds with obedience…is there not growth and a stronger bond in the relationship?

Now, I’m not willing to venture who is the child, and who is the parent in the UMC’s current struggle; perhaps it’s more like the sides are both children, and our Heavenly Father has to separate the fighting wildcats before he can appropriately tan both hides.

However we care to simplify, allegorize or analogize this riddle, taking a firm stance on this issue of homosexuality is going to hurt – on both sides. 

And, to the world it will look like a lack of love.  And the world may be right to some degree…some (less mature) people on both sides only want blood.  But, both sides can hardly be right, if either side actually IS completely right.

So…hold to your convictions…as long as your conviction falls on the side of Scripture, preferring your brothers and sisters in love, which our Lord’s brother James describes:

My dear brothers and sisters, if someone among you wanders away from the truth and is brought back, you can be sure that whoever brings the sinner back will save that person from death and bring about the forgiveness of many sins.  James 5:19-20^(NLT)

For You Today

Whether progressives or traditionalists prevail in this denominational upheaval, God’s will is going to be served.  Keep that next to your convictions!

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road today…have a blessed day!

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NOTES

[i] Title Image: Adriaen Brouwer (circa 1605/1606–1638) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

[ii] Read full story here: Living Fully With Risk and Responsibility

[iii] Isaiah 55:9