Those of you who have heard me preach, or have heard my "stump speech", know that I often talk about being sent out into the world as disciples. I talk about how we do that in organized ways such as with mission trips, but also how we need to go out individually into our homes, communities, and workplaces as disciples. Something happened today that illustrates what I mean.
With the cooler weather I have begun running during my lunch time. I'm not doing long runs, just a few miles to clear my head, enjoy God's creation, and give myself time to think. I usually run two-thirds of the length of my planned run, turn around and run back for the last third, and then walk back to the church for a cool down.
During my cool down today a truck coming toward me stopped, the window rolled down, and a gentleman stuck his head out of the window and asked, "Are you okay? Do you need a ride?" Well, I guess I looked like I was hurting! I thanked him, told him I was fine, and was just cooling down from a run. He said goodbye and headed on his way.
As I finished my walk I thought, "What a great guy!" and I breathed a quick prayer of thanks and asked God to bless him. I don't know who he is, and I doubt he knows who I am. He just saw a possibility to be of help and acted on it. It didn't matter that he was headed in the opposite direction; he was willing to turn around, pick me up, and take me wherever I needed to go.
That's what it means to be sent out as a disciple of Jesus Christ.
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i was on the other side of a similar situation just 2 weeks ago.. i was pulling out onto a main road near my house and saw a guy who's car had obviously just broken down. i was on my way to work and didn't see stopping as an option as i went past.. for the next 15 minutes i ran through my head why i didnt stop, knowing that i should have, but having the opposite as an instinct.
i ran through various reasons why i shouldn't have stopped trying to justify me feeling bad for not having done so:
1) i know nothing about cars
2) he had a cell phone
3) he wasnt near any dangerous intersections
4) every minute extra i take going to work, is a minute later i leave from work, which can be 10-30 minutes more time coming home in the evenings
what this helped me realize though was that i am at least now realizing what i should feel called to do - a first step of sorts.
now, if only i could get rid of my job - perhaps then i could do more of what i should do, and be less constrained by what i feel i have to do.
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