Written to our team in September of 2005 it still holds a special place in my heart. As I read it this morning I was reminded once again how busy we can get, and how consumed we get in our own little world.
I heard this story at a lunch meeting the other day and the person talking was going off about what ticked him off. As he started in he said the following ticked him off, see if you can relate.
What tics me off is going to the drive thru and getting some dumb head who can’t take my order and get it right the first time, that tics me off, or while driving thru the Wal-mart parking lot and getting behind some women who won’t get out of my way fast enough, that tics me off, or the old lady and old man in the Wal-mart pushing a cart standing in the way right in the middle of the isle, wont move out of my way! I’m in a hurry, don’t they know that!! That tics me off. You know what else tics me off he said “that homeless man on the side of the street holding up a sign wanting money!! GET A JOB!! he said real loud, that just tics me off!!
At this point and I am sure all of you are here, what kind of person is this talking? Is it me? Let me finish the story now.
He said lets pray and bless the time we have together.
His prayer was something like this!
Lord forgive me for being who I am. Forgive me for thinking I was better than the person at the drive thru, forgive me because that girl could be working her way thru college, or getting ready to go on a missions trip. Forgive me Lord for thinking bad when I got behind that woman in the Wal-mart parking lot, she could have just finished a second shift job and on her way to a third job to support her family with no husband, Oh God forgive me!! Forgive me Lord for not just going the other way and saying hello to the old man and woman in the Wal-mart isle, they could have just gotten the news that one of them has terminal cancer, Oh God Forgive Me!!, Forgive me Lord for thinking I am better than the street man, who is at his lowest point in life, him not knowing where his next meal is coming from, not knowing if he is even going to eat. OH GOD FORGIVE ME!! I am no better than any of these, by your grace it could be me!!
As I heard this mans testimony I thought of this and have thought of this all weekend. Think about it next time you are at the drive thru, or behind someone that won’t go as fast as you want to.
Life is so short and we (I) spend way to much time thinking on what tics us off rather than how can I be what God wants us to be. But by the grace of God I am where I am. Blessed beyond what I should be but none the less blessed. Lets slow down a bit and really look at how blessed we are.
This weekend is just sinking in, I was so busy I didn’t notice some things I should have. I didn’t slow down and let God show me some things he really wanted to. I am thinking back to a conversation I had with someone. They said “see that guy over there, he is really connected with you, get a change talk to him”. Well, it slipped away, no time I said in my heart. God forgive me for not taking the time to see, to look and to feel the need of others.
George Beasley
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
