I totally stole that title!!! There is a story on Facebook going on about a lady that stops to help a homeless man. She and a police officer take him into a diner to get him a meal. Even as the man refused, not wanting to be kicked out of the restaurant, and the owner of the restaurant says to her that having "people like that" in there is bad for business, she doesn't become discouraged. You see, this homeless man that so many people walk by each and every day had once done something amazing for her. When she was homeless, cold and hungry, he bought her a meal. The story ends with, "God is going to shift things around for you today and let things work in your favour. Give him all the glory and pay it forward (and sometimes backwards!)"
I reposted this on Facebook, and many of my friends and family did the same. You see, this means a lot to me because my family is not Christian. My parents and my brother all struggle with the concepts and "restrictions" of the Bible. And maybe I'm being naive. But maybe, just maybe, reading stories like these will one day lead them to Jesus. And even more, I know that my actions are going to be the very best example of what a Christian should be. I'm not saying I'm perfect, please don't misunderstand me. When I told my brother I was going to church again, his response was that he would still talk to me as long as I didn't preach to him all that church b.s. So rather than preach, I talk about the good our church does, and other Christian organizations I am involved with. I do other volunteer work to show love to others just because I can. And I live (to the best of my ability), the life that I want them to see in Christ, so that they too would want it. And I pray for them to see that the "restrictions" they are so scared of are born of religion, not God. I have heard many times that the biggest stigmatism to Christianity is Christians themselves. I was hesitant to go to Church because of the examples I had seen in my own life of people who thought that as long as they went to church, they were automatically above everyone else. Those aren't the people Jesus came for. He came for the lepers, the lame, the tax collectors, the prostitutes. And not only did he come for them, he used them to do great things in his name. Sounds like someone I want to live up to.
I started a pay it forward project just after Christmas this year. So far, I have sent out gifts of recognition to over 100 people, hoping to reach 100 more. And a good friend of mine was inspired to start her own project. I'm not writing this hoping for recognition, but to relay to you that before I allowed Jesus into my heart, reaching out in love to 100 people would NOT have been something I would have even thought of. And I have heard feedback that those little gifts were the answers to some of those people's prayers.
Heavenly Father, tonight I pray that all of those who want to know you better will simply reach out to you, and read your word for themselves. Help them to open their hearts to you, and close their ears to all of those saying that they don't deserve you, or that they aren't good enough, or whatever lies they are being told. Help them to feel your grace and unconditional love. Let them know that you alone are perfect, and that they don't have to be perfect. They just have to ask for you. In Jesus' name. Amen.
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