Thirsty

I like to frequent a little shop on one of the corners in the downtown district where I work. This little shop bustles with patrons around the lunch hour and the owners always have something to satisfy their desires. They serve coffee of all sorts, ice cream of varying flavors, sandwiches, soups, and pastries. The shop owners have their "regulars" and after I had spent enough time in the place we came to the realization that my parents were actually friends with them. The owners and I have thus taken a keen sense of comradery to one another. They'll tease me here and there about things they've heard from my parents while I insist on ordering things that are not on the menu.

As their clientele increased the shop keepers hired on an extra hand to disperse the workload. A young lady, whose name escapes me at the moment, joined their staff within the past few weeks. I estimate her age to be somewhere in her early twenties, probably not much younger then myself. She's been a delightful employee and I've become just as happy to see her as I have the owners. I don't know much about her or her testimony but today her actions spoke louder than any words could about her character.

I walked to the Café/Creamery on my lunch as I'm prone to do. Today was especially nice, sunny and in the eighties, so I quite enjoyed the stroll. In the shop the customers were wall to wall and enjoying the cool air and delicious fare. I ordered my sandwich, exchanged a witty remark with one of the shop owners and turned to see this young lady taking a break. I greeted her and she inquired as to my selection for the day. I ate my sandwich inside where it was cool and void of bugs but the outside was beckoning and the bench in front of the fountain was vacant. I finished my lunch and sat outside in front of the fountain. The sun was shining a gentle breeze blew and every once in a while the breeze would catch the fountain water and splash me on the bench. It was a gorgeous day.

I sat on the bench reading The Grammar of Architecture and just took in the blessing of the day. The young lady from the shop stepped out to run an errand for one of the owners. She saw me sitting, and I simply smiled and said hi. She seemed concerned, "Are you okay out here?" I responded that I was just enjoying the day. She shook her head in disbelief. I'll give it to her, it was a little warm, but certainly bearable by my standards. As she returned from up the street she asked if I was sure I was okay. "I really am," I promised her. She asked if I wanted some ice water and I thoughtfully declined. I assured her I was cool enough. A few minutes later she came from the shop again and insisted I take the water she offered, "It just doesn't sit well with me." I was touched. I accepted her gift and offered to pay her for it which she declined.

I couldn't help but be reminded of the verse that is in Matthew 25- (…when I was thirsty, you gave me drink…whatever you've done to the least of these you've done to me). Here is a young woman of exemplary character. She was compelled to compassion and even when I thought I didn't need anything, she offered anyway. I almost wonder what I'd do if I were in her shoes. I'm sure I would have checked on the patron. I may have even gone as far as to offer a cool drink too. After which I wouldn't have pressed the issue. I'm sure she had plenty to do in the shop with as many customers that had inside but her thoughts were on me and my well being. It really taught me a lesson today about being mindful of others. Sometimes we just need to take the initiative and not be intimidated by "No." We don't always know what we need and we can't imagine that everyone else will either. I'm glad she heeded the call of the Holy Spirit. Her gift blessed me immeasurably.

Something Better Is Coming

I've been pondering trust and obedience lately. I've never been one to take God's commands lightly but I've questioned them for sure. This weekend I learned the importance of being obedient to God's nudging in my life. I should never take for granted the things that He gives me and should never be afraid to trust what He's given me to share.

My mom came home on Friday concerned with an issue at work. In this ever declining economy she was concerned if her position would be secured when she went back to her office on Monday. And, yes, it's easy to tell someone not to worry and that God is in control. However, I understand her anxiety; it's never easy being unsure of our futures. She asked me to pray that she wouldn't lose her job and I assured her that I would. That night as I was praying, before I could even articulate the words in my mind God gave me a message for her, "Something better is coming." I feared and began to wonder if it were just me making the assessment in my head. I continued to pray and the same thought over and over. I discontinued praying on that issue and moved on to others. Then I went to sleep. I woke up in the course of my sleep, perhaps twice, and prayed again for the issue. The same statement resonated in my head, "Something Better is coming." I asked God what I could tell her and His response was unchanging, "Something better is coming."

I didn't tell her on Saturday what God had told me to. I was afraid she'd think I was just being encouraging, or worse, implying that she'd lose her job. I decided to wait it out. She called her supervisor to discuss her concerns with him and he told her that he didn't think she'd have anything to worry about. Although, he couldn't be certain of it. She was still very uneasy and I began to pray again but the same statement kept piercing through my thoughts, "Something better is coming." I still wasn't sold on the idea and I remained silent on the matter.

I began to remember all the times that God spoke into my life. I wasted so much time just wondering if it was really Him making the statements. I thought back to a time when I interviewed for a job and the interview did not go well. The employer asked me nothing of my experience and made judgments based on my small appearance. I was devastated as I drove home wondering why he just left it at that but then God gave me his promise, "That's your job." I was informed that afternoon that the employer wasn't interested in hiring me. I began to doubt the aforementioned statement believing that it was simply my desires speaking. One week later the same employer called back and asked me to come in again for another interview, crazy as it sounds. I was hired. In retrospect, I wish I would have shared that promise with someone else so that my testament to this could have been strengthened. All the same I think that it taught me to never doubt the words God gives me.

On Sunday, I spoke of my reservations about sharing the word God gave me for my mom with a friend. She looked at me funny and then asked "Why not? You should!" I knew I needed to and her confirmation made it all the more clear. And in speaking to her I remembered a word of advice that I gave to her months ago when she faced a difficult situation. What I told her was, "God is not a God of confusion. No matter how persistent the world may be, God is just as persistent. He'll make His purposes clear." With all my worrying, God was being persistent. There was no question about where the statement was coming from.

As I spoke to my mom that night, she shared that another pressing matter, not work related, had her concerned. I felt even more strongly about what God was laying on my heart and I couldn't shake loose from it. So I finally shared it with her. I told her that it was just vague enough to be anything but that I had to tell her out of obedience to the Lord. This prompted a conversation that lasted over an hour about the great and wonderful works that God has done for us in the past. She was smiling and it made me feel better that I told her.

This afternoon, I called to check on her work status. Since, I hadn't heard from her I could only assume she was busy working. She told me so far everything had gone fine. She was, in fact, performing above almost everyone else in her department. What do you know, something better came.