Americans are interesting. Most of us love people genuinely but really hate being inconvenienced. "Ah that doesn't work with my schedule." "I'd rather do something else." "I have to look after what?" I'm as guilty as the next person when it comes to me wanting what I want, how I want it.But, it's not like that everywhere... not everyone functions around convenience or a schedule.
As a matter of fact once you head toward the middle east/Asia, etc. It actually blesses people in such a huge way to have you in their home that they will beg you to come and spend their last cent and their best animal on trying to bless you... and if you leave in less than 5 hours, it's insulting to them.
In America, it's so rare to have folks invite you to their home... to cross the threshold of their personal space... to have to clean before you get there... to do whatever preparations for your coming need to be made. Wondering continually...what if they don't like what I'm fixing...what if I don't have anything to say...what if they're weirdies...what if they stay and don't leave for a lonnnnnnnng time. Instead, we'd rather just meet you at a restaurant for the hour scheduled and then depart. That's the traditional culture of this country and most of the circles in which I personally roam.
My thought is...what if...
What if we opened our hearts to friends and strangers...
What if we didn't care how long they stay...
What if we gave our very best to the guest every time...
What if our primary goal was to bless someone who wasn't us...
and in doing this... we show them Jesus...
He opened His heart to friends and strangers...
He doesn't mind at all how long we sit in His presence and chat...even if we don't have anything to say...
He gives us His very best every time... and when the time called for it... He gave us His life...
His primary goal is to reconcile the world to Him... That should be our goal...
We can start with just simply being willing to be inconvenienced.
No comments:
Post a Comment