The ticking of a clock, the sweet melody of a Robin, the dew lightly settling on the leaves and the grass, when all the while the sun plays hide and seek as she rises and slowly spreads her light and warmth over the Earth, little by little. This is how my 8 AM Saturday mornings on desk shift always seem to start. The world is still, and so is my soul. It's funny how they say the simple things in life are what makes it all worth while. But in all honesty, there is so much truth behind that. Oh, how I long for moments like this at times when I cannot even hear my own heartbeat. The noise of the world crowds my mind and leaves me screaming inside my head to the point of exhaustion and insanity. But for right now, I am calm. Will you spend a few moments with me in this peace? I ask of you to simply breathe, and just sit still. Allow the Lord to calm the waters of the raging storms within you. Pray this with me, "Lord, quiet my soul. Fill me with your spirit. I am yours and I am new. Be still my soul, be still."....
Ready to move on? :)
This is a story of inspiration and encouragement. Something I hope will humble you as much as it humbled me.
I will not use real names, as not to break any promises to keep this discrete and anonymous. But I feel that the Lord used this person to strengthen my own faith, and that is a story I would be selfish not to share. I am obliged to call this person Nathan, which means 'God has given' in the Bible. This is only fitting for a person who was so kind and so gracious to me; a giving person. When I met Nathan in the beginning of the year, he was always very quiet and reserved. He would never hurt a fly, but he wasn't exactly the type to frollick in the fields of flowers either, ha ;) Over time, while most people knew very little about him, I could feel the Lord tugging on my heart strings to reach out to him just to let him know he had someone else behind him. A simple smile, or a 'how are you' seemed like enough to me. But I never acted much on it. I used the excuses I always use; I'm too busy to pay attention or I'm sure he has other friends. Often times, I don't even come up with an excuse, I just walk on by and ignore it. (Doesn't it feel like we have a tendency to do this? To just walk on past people who end up meaning something in our lives some day in the future. I guess it's true when they say we really don't realize a good thing when it's right in front of us, including a friend.)
So while my stubborn spirit continued to play it safe, short, and simple, the Lord knew me much better than this. Over time, our simple hello's would become a conversation (not too long, but never too short). Nathan was (and still is) a tough character to figure out. I'm not exactly sure what his past was like, he's always too humble to want to speak about himself. But there's always been so much depth in his spirit and a heart of tranquil solitude; he doesn't have to say much to earn the respect of anyone in his presence.
I will never forget how one of our conversations ended up playing out. "How'd you become so religious?" My biggest joy in life, is when people ask me about my faith. I imagine it was a lot to process when I proceeded with my waterfall of an explanation to this question haha, but I could not contain my joy that someone was interested in knowing about the very thing that makes me who I am. And although I am not sure if Nathan agreed with my views and beliefs, he made it a point to express his respect and utmost sincerity for my heart. Even as Christians, we don't always truly respect others actions and thoughts as much as we should. Jesus judged no one. While Nathan may not be a believer, he surely is an example of Christ in this way.
A few days ago, I received a message from Nathan asking me about my mission trip to Uganda. When he asked me who he can write a check out to for a donation, I told him he really didn't have to do that (he was already such a wonderful friend to me in encouragement). I chose not to argue with him on this, and I would lie if I said I wasn't truly excited that someone was willing to donate to my cause. I met with him the next morning under his one condition, that I would keep it discrete (another humble action of his). Donations are usually $10-$20, or so I've heard. To be completely honest, I am more than thankful for spare change and prayers. Which is why I was almost brought to tears when I read the amount on the check that morning. I will not say the exact amount, but it was more than what a college kid like most of us can or are willing to give.
It really made me think, just how much are we giving of ourselves to those who are in need? Even someone who does not follow any organized faith and is still so humble and gracious as this, the Lord used as a prime example of sacrifice and the love Jesus has for us. How much do we give? How much do I give? I certainly was never as gracious as Nathan was to me in giving to any cause. And I prayed to the Lord, "It's absolutely amazing how you used someone who I least expected, to show me what it means to truly give, even when it means more than what we think we can afford." Nathan has inspired me to give more than what I am willing to. Not just financially, but in spirit and heart as well. My prayers now are that the Lord can teach me to give more of myself to others in need, when they need love or advice or someone to laugh with. I pray that even when I feel tired, that I find the strength inside me to wake up and play with the children, to be an active listener in my conversations with others, to be kind and gracious and dole out compliments to those who need the encouragement, to drop what I am doing when a friend is in need and realize that nothing will ever be more important than to tend to a breaking heart or a broken spirit. Nathan has taught me all of this and more, and he doesn't even realize it. But I am so thankful to the Lord that my eyes are open to this. I have been extremely blessed every time the Lord sends me his Angels in disguise, this particular friend being one of them.
Nathan, if you ever get around to reading this, I hope you know I had to tell this story to anyone who needs encouragement and hope as much as you have given it to me. You are a wonderful person, whether you see that or not. And the Lord has blessed me with a friend in you. Our past does not define us, but rather the impact we have on those around us in our daily lives. And you have impacted my life more than you know. So I thank you.
I do so hope this story is an encouragement to you all. May the Lord be with you and continue to open your eyes to the blessings around us! I will write again soon. Until then, keep an eye out for those Angels. Don't let them pass you by like I almost did :)
"Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it."~Hebrews 13:2
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