But Then There Were People
What do you think of people? Do you like them? Tolerate them? Or are they merely interruptions? I have said a few times I could do without them. I know. Shocking. If I had the choice and the resources, I could live in a small cabin away from people. Kind of like Theodore (Ted) John Kaczynski, only without mailing bombs to people.
I don’t hate people, but I have come to realize that interacting with them requires something of me that doesn’t come easily: love. More specifically, God’s love. Consistently producing God’s kind of love in some form or another takes effort. Let’s face it: reacting in our flesh is much easier.
“Jesus had a plan for the day, but then, there were PEOPLE!” – Rich Rubietta.
Dealing with people takes time. But when it happens unscheduled, you have a decision to make. Am I going to stop, talk, minister, help, or what? My response to this person will be time-consuming!
The other day, I was trying to finish my grocery shopping before getting to a doctor’s appointment. I know the store well, so I grabbed the needed items and threw them in my cart. “Can you help me? I’m having chest pains,” the woman said. She got nervous, though, when she saw me pull out my phone and began to dial 911. “I’m not having a heart attack, but I feel anxiety. I only live a few miles from here, and I don’t feel like waiting for the bus. Would you be willing to drive me to where I live?”
I started thinking, why me? Had she asked others? Is this something she does all the time? Do I have a sign on my back that reads “Student Driver of God’s Love?” I’ll probably be late for my appointment. I had a good reason to say, “I’m sorry. I really can’t.” And I probably would have felt justified in doing so. What would you have done?
I agreed but found it challenging to keep her focused. Instead of getting in line like “normal” customers to get rung up, she took her laundry basket with her food around the customers, playing by the rules to the cashier directly. I kept reminding her we had to hurry because I had a doctor’s appointment.
I helped her get her groceries checked out and brought her to my car. As I was driving her to where she lived, I started telling her about God and His love. That God wanted to “love” on her today. Then I made an alter call. I asked her if she had ever asked Jesus Christ into her life for the forgiveness of her sins. I mean, the car was moving. Was she going to jump out to go the bathroom as some do when the minister does this in church? She said she had, but as she told me her story, it became apparent she hadn’t invited Him to be active in her life. I encouraged her to ask Him for help.
I got her delivered to the correct address faster than Uber Eats! I made it to my appointment with only minutes to spare. That wasn’t my plan. The nurse wanted to know why my blood pressure was high. LOL, I said, “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”
I know God needed someone to remind the woman that He was still there and that despite some of her life choices, He still loved her. Honestly, I was humbled that He picked me. I got teary-eyed when I realized that a few minutes of my time could ultimately change that woman’s life and her address for eternity. If you say you love God, then you have to love people.
19 We, though, are going to love—love and be loved. First we were loved, now we love. He loved us first. 20-21 If anyone boasts, “I love God,” and goes right on hating his brother or sister, thinking nothing of it, he is a liar. If he won’t love the person he can see, how can he love the God he can’t see? The command we have from Christ is blunt: Loving God includes loving people. You’ve got to love both. 1 John 4:19-21 (MSG)
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