someone's someone

Good Morning Friends

I pray and trust that all is going well with you

I will be attending church – online – in a couple of hours

Then I will be spending the day with my guys

But I wanted to share this post this morning – one of my longer posts

I guess I am feeling really reflective after my evening last night,

When I encountered someone – an individual – in the parking lot

 

She was wrapped up in a blanket sitting with cart and a few of her belongings

She had no sign  and she was not begging –

She was just trying to stay warm ... and safe

 

We live in a fallen world –

As a result we will experience trouble – everyone, in one way or another

It may not be to same extent but all will experience challenges

Yet, we can take heart that ‘Jesus has overcome the world’ [John 16:33]

He works with us through situations and circumstances;

He brings beauty from our ashes so we can share beauty with others

He does not comfort us to make us comfortable; 

          He comforts us to make us comforters

He has established us as His Ambassadors of Hope in the earth

But we still must accept the job and commit to doing it faithfully

I drove past initially –

I had gone to the store and was on the way home to make dinner

I made it all the way to the rotary drive outside of my neighborhood

But, something kept pressing upon my heart – someone’s someone was on my heart

                                                 

So I turned around and drove all the way back to the shopping center

I went into a department store and purchased a few items;

Then I stopped at a restaurant and picked up a meal and bottled water

I honked my horn and spoke to her from my car

My heart was moved because I remembered that first night of homelessness

                With my sons and our dog back in 2011

I had always thought it would have been easier to handle if it was just me;

                I so wished my children did not have to be exposed to that

However, in hindsight, there was strength and safety in numbers

 

Initially, this woman did not want to accept what I offered

She was very much afraid – I could see it in her eyes

So, I explained that I had seen her when I was at the pharmacy earlier;

And that I had come back and just stopped at the store and restaurant

Then I got out of my vehicle and handed her the package

She was so very thankful … for the kindness

I spoke a blessing over her and we parted ways

 

Now, I normally do not speak of it when I give anything to anyone

This has also been a slightly different ‘love month’ for us than usual – thus far

But I think it is so important to talk about some of these things

It is so important to think about each someone we are blessed to encounter

They are everywhere and all around us

And they are someone’s someone –

Someone’s daughter, son, mom, dad, brother, sister, neighbor, friend

Most importantly, they are God’s someone

 

I wish that I were in a position to do more

But I will not let that stop me from doing what I can

And I pray you will not be stopped in doing anything you are able to do

Whatever situation God allows you to face – pray for His wisdom

It is not an all or nothing situation

We do not have to change the entire world –

We need only do what we can to bless the people He allows to enter our world

 

The message never changes –

‘Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind … 'Love your neighbor as yourself.’ Matthew 22-37, 39

Love God, Love People

There are people that God desires to reach and He is counting on us

We are actually more important than any of us will ever realize

He is not looking for perfection – just partnership and participation

We can make  difference in someone’s life today ... 

          Let's make a difference in someone’s life today

Have a Blessed Day!

how far it goes

The weekend is here – and I have only two significant items on the agenda:

1. Watching the Superbowl with my guys tomorrow!
2. A milestone birthday celebration for my eldest son!

So I will be getting ready to run some errands to make sure I have all I need

But, I wanted to share this quick post first ...the term 'quick’ being entirely subjective 

 You never actually know ... how far my post will go 

Yesterday I shared a post about a gentleman I met at the store on Thursday

And even as I wrote, I honestly thought, I’ll probably never see him again’

Virginia Beach is a fairly large city – 

It is in the top 50 largest of all cities in the United States – for size & population

Well, yesterday afternoon I went to drop my youngest son off at work

And as I got ready to leave, who do you think was entering as I was exiting?

My new friend … and his trusty side-kick, of course!

To say I was surprised would be quite the understatement

Now, I don’t know how he felt following our impromptu meeting on Thursday

But I do know that he shared how isolated he had been feeling,

And he shared his reservations of having to interact with people

Yet, here he was venturing out, again, not twenty-four hours after our encounter

 

So, why am I sharing this and what does it have to do with our love journey?

You never know the impact you can have in the life another – just by being kind

I cannot say that our interaction on Thursday had any impact on his journey Friday

But I also cannot say definitely that it did not have some impact – even if it was minuscule

The point is you never know

That kindness you display to another person – you never know how far it will go

 

Today I am praying

That the LORD will make us all sensitive to the opportunities all around us

That He would open our eyes to see the needs of others

That we would slow down enough to make time for someone else

That we would submit to His will and partner with Him – in touching lives

That we would consent to be a ‘pebble’ ...

          If it would help in sending ripples of His love throughout the earth

May the LORD bless you and keep you today

Have a Wonderful Day & Weekend!