A wise speaker named Ron Ritchie (http://ronritchie.org/) who has spoken at my Missions Springs Family Camp in Santa Cruz the past few years always says that we do not go to restaurants to eat. We do not go to the car wash to clean our car. We do not go to the store to buy our items. Most people's first thought in response to these statements would be a response of confusion, contradiction, or maybe irritation. But I would guess mostly confusion followed by a desire to hear an explanation for these seemingly incongruent assertions. Ron would always share a personal story of an experience that he had with another person-a stranger. One of the accounts he shared with us was about a time that he was at a restaurant getting a bite to eat and noticed that the waitress helping their table out looked extremely worn out and beat down. He immediately became invested in finding out a little more about this woman who looked so weary of life. There are plenty of details that fill the space in between what I've begun to describe and the end of the meal as Ron Ritchie left, having planted a seed of encouragement and prayer in this waitresses life. You might think that you are going to a restaurant to eat, when in fact there is a much bigger scheme in play that always involves serving someone else.
I have always found this mindset a very admirable quality and practice when I think back on hearing Ron speak on this and the role that it plays in his everyday life. The mundane routines of everyday life no longer become mundane when the routine of it becomes the investment of Christ, through ourselves (His vessels), in someone else's life. Not until recently have I begun to identify and discover this practice break through in my own everyday life, and not coincidentally it seems to coincide with how much more I am falling madly in love with my Creator-the ULTIMATE Lover. When your Maker's affection and presence is resonating so strongly and richly within your spirit, it is impossible to NOT spill and splash His love onto everyone you encounter. As I heard another wise speaker once say, when your cup is overflowing...you really cannot avoid the spill of it onto someone else when you bump into them.
One of the first incidents that stick out in my mind is the Anberlin concert that I recently attended earlier this month. As the band jammed out their last song, I made my way through the crowd to the bathroom before the rush of rambunctious rockers could flood it. Of course I suspected there would be an encore and so did everyone else, so they stayed planted right where they were. As I was using the mirror in the bathroom, I saw a girl behind me in it laying down on a chaise lounge crying her eyes out. She had a blanket wrapped over/around her and was simply sobbing by herself. Before I could even think about why, how, what...my body just led me over to her. I sat down next to her and began to give her a shoulder and back massage. This is a huge deal for me-I do not do massages. I do not give them and do not receive them-it is a preference of mine. This preference did not even occur to me at this point and it did not bother me to give it out; my hands just guided themselves to it without permission from what I would normally allow. She was looking at me like "Who are you, why are you doing this for me? Thank You." As a girl, I know that when you are crying...the last thing that you want to be asked is "Why are you crying?" You just want to cry. So I looked at her and told her that it was going to be alright. I asked her a couple questions to distract her a bit, "Are you here with someone? Do they know that you're in here?" She responded that she was here with someone and that she was not sure if they knew that she was in here. I don't know if she was drunk and simply wallowing in her befuddled state. Other girls that had stumbled upon her anguished state while using the bathroom were also taking care of her, bringing her water and such. I do not know why I did not ask her name...I am good with names and love to have names for faces to pray for later on. Somehow I forgot this detail-I did find out that she does nails though. As another girl and I continued to sit with her and comfort her the best we could, her sobs simmered down a bit. As soon as I saw that I could leave her with another girl so that she wouldn't be by herself, I bounced. Before I walked out I pointed at her and told her to keep her chin up, while bewilderment was plastered across her face. I hope we killed her with kindness that night. And if she was drunk, I hope she remembers it.
A second, quite recent occurence that reminded me that I do not go for the places but for the people, was yesterday whilst at Apple Hill with my grandma, momsicle, and aunt. As I was perusing the different craft stands and booths, I parked it at one abundant with a plethora of jewelry. A man who seemed rather gruff and rough around the edges was manning the kiosk. As I was grazing over the variety of gems and jewels, I heard a crash directly behind me. I turned around to see the man standing in horrified awe at his whole overturned table of tiny beads, jewels, and plates of creations strewn out all in the dirt. He muttered curses under his breath about how this was not his day, this was the second time this had happened to him today apparently. He began pacing at first, like he didn't even know how to handle this for the second time today, didn't even know where to start cleaning this up. He was honestly quite distraught and so incredibly frustrated. Everyone around him seemed to only look upon him and the scene in pity as if to say "Bummer dude", then continued on their way to a different booth. I walked over and asked if he needed help picking this up, but he was so blinded by disgruntled chagrin that all he could grunt out was "You know, this is just not my day......etc, etc". Taking into account his completely defeated state, I decided to just get down on my knees and start helping him anyway. It would have taken forever for one person to pick up all of the tiny pieces that had spilled all over the place. He soon got down and began picking things up with me. Shortly after that, he asked my name, voiced his appreciation the best he knew how, and began small talk. He asked about my schooling, shared some background on his own schooling, his age (78 I believe), his divorce and how his divorce threw his career path off track. He lives in Arizona helping his mother except for in the winter in which he is here. Somehow he managed to throw in a derogatory Obama comment and went on a bit about how even a bachelor's degree is not enough these days. That "we are all we've got, ourselves." It made me sad and I was aching to enunciate the Support and joy that was so readily available for him to have as his own. But I just let him talk and I listened. Once again, I forgot to ask his name-common courtesy yet it totally slipped my mind. As we finished picking up the tiniest pieces, he offered me anything I wanted in his booth. He said "pick any necklace, anything you want." The kindness from such an originally gruff man broke my heart in the best way. Times like these reveal how our souls really are created for kindness. I tried to turn down his offer but he insisted that I choose something or else "he would have 2 strokes." God forbid he have two strokes...so I selected a pair of earrings that I was eyeing before the table collapsed onto the ground. The particular earrings that I liked and picked happened to be one of the cheapest pairs so he demanded that I pick two. So I did. It is difficult to turn down such adamant man. I had dirt covering my hands and he couldn't have that so he rushed over to me with paper towels and led me to a nearby hose where he proceeded to wash my hands clean. This was such an altruistic act to me and vaguely reminded me of another man that washed people's feet. I had somehow managed to soften a rather brusque and surly man. Scratch that. Christ managed to soften-through his daughter. Like I said-when your cup is overflowing, you can't help but spill it onto other people that you bump into. As I walked away in complete awe of the divine transfer of the greatest love of all, I knew that this man (Bead man), was the reason that I was at Apple Hill. I did not go to Apple Hill for apples :O I was at Apple Hill for Bead man-and I wouldn't have had it any other way. He was by far the highlight of my day.
I could write about so many more divine encounters that brighten up my heart every day in all of the ordinary things that my Best Friend and Lover makes extraordinary through His powerful name. Serving and loving fulfills cravings in my heart and fibers that nothing else satiates-I know I was made for this. We all were made for this-serving others brings the joy that nothing else can bring. I thank my Jesus for the example he left and the opportunity to be His image to others. I still pray for Anberlin bathroom girl and Bead man all the time while simultaneously scolding myself for not asking their names-but He knows their names. He knows every single thing about them actually. So I can rest in that at least. I can't wait for my next trip to the grocery store.
"In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how He Himself said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'"
Acts 20:35
"For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'"
Galatians 5:13-14
"When He had washed their feet and put on His outer garments and resumed His place, He said to them, 'Do you understand what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet.'"
John 13:12-14
"Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."
Luke 6:38
"What you got if you ain't got love? The kind that you just wanna give away, it's ok to open up. Go ahead and let the light shine through."
--Carrie Underwood
"Let us love like we were children."
--Needtobreathe
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