Happy Monday! We’ve made it to another week! Sometimes I shock myself when this happens! Erin from Dishes & Wishes is visiting LWTH today. If you need a good reminder of how you should focus your heart for the week, I think this post is going to do the trick for you. I adore Erin and her authentic heart for the Lord, and I think she will probably speak to your heart today.
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My name is Erin.
I blog over at Dishes & Wishes.
I was lucky to have been asked to participate in Marital Mondays not too long ago for Darby.
I loved it.
I learned from it.
I hope you took a little something away from it.
I'm so thankful and excited to be guest posting again for the Lovely Darby.
She has to be one of the sweetest people on the planet.
I adore her blog and her pup Miss T and the new little nugget-head Rooney!
(I''ve determined, even though almost the whole country is between us, that Miss Tomlin and my pup Asher are meant to be together.)
I'm from Ohio... Columbus to be exact.
We Ohio-ians have this little joke that we have a different set of seasons than everyone else.
Winter, Still Winter, Almost winter and Construction.
It's unavoidable.
I'll leave my complaint about the City of Columbus doing construction on a major freeway and the city where I live deciding that it's also a great time to rip up the 2 lane road that I live off of, gut the concrete and widen it...
And the fact that the complete absence of winter this year doesn't mean that they'll continue working on the project in order for it to be done faster and keep me from ramping my car up the stupidest idea of a 'fix' for leveling the 2 feet difference between the two halves of the road.
I mean honestly...
My (Jake's) front bumper has permanent damage due to me smacking it on the concrete every morning as I drive out of my development... Not to mention that the sensors for the light are now 10 ft away from where you wait for traffic.
Goodness....
I honestly don't know where that came from.
Sorry about that.
My point.
Right.
One day last week I was sitting in traffic and I noticed a young couple that was sitting on the corner of the intersection. This isn't a 'normal thing' for where I live. Their sign said 'Broke and Traveling'
My initial reaction was the same as the few cars in front of me.
I nervously avoided eye contact.
Pretended to be busy with my radio.
Checked my phone.
As the man holding the sign passed me I took a look at his face. He had to have been my age. Young by society's standards. I chanced a glance at the young woman who was with him. She was patiently waiting with her head down, sitting on their 2 bags.All of a sudden I did a double take. Sitting so perfectly beside this young woman was a very large, very sweet faced dog. The two of them huddled together.
My heart broke for them.
I chose to look at them through different eyes.
Who did I think I was?
Who am I to judge them, to react toward them in such a negative way.
Why should people down on their luck, be it by their own design or for a higher purpose, be judged or ignored like they are 'less than'.
Jesus called us to Love our neighbors.
Not just the ones that make us comfortable or the ones that we approved of.
We are called to love all others as we love ourselves.
I quickly dug through my purse and found my cash. I got the attention of the young woman who was sitting only 10 feet from my car. I rolled down my window and gave her what I could. She smiled at me with genuine gratitude and thanked me.
It felt good.
Hebrews 13:16
Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.
It felt good to make a difference in someone else' life, no matter how small or insignificant.
As I was rolling up my window I glanced in my rear view mirror and saw that the car behind me. It was a car that I had rolled my eyes at before due to the high school girls dancing to their music, like I wasn't just like them when I was in high school.
Only they weren't car dancing anymore.
They were holding a fold of cash in their hand and were motioning to the young woman to come to their window.
I felt even better.
I like to think that my actions, my decision for kindness, inspired those young girls to reach out and give unselfishly to someone who was in need. They chose to ignore the public opinion and reach out for good.
My little story isn't meant to judge people who choose to keep their windows rolled up.
Goodness knows that is me a majority of the time...
I just wanted to remind you that there are people outside of your window, your comfort zone, who need a little kindness extended toward them. You never know who is watching you, waiting for a little inspiration to give something of themselves right along beside you.
Matthew 5:16
In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
I've loved sharing and would love hearing from you!
Take care and be blessed!
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Thank you Erin for such a genuine and lovely reminder of how Jesus wants us to treat our neighbors; our neighbors being even those on the corner. Go visit Erin for more inspiration and reminders of how to live a life according to God’s will.
