At various points along our trip to San Diego, the Lord had us cross
paths with several people, and the Lord used these conversations to
mature my perspective of several principals.
Maria sat across the isle and slightly behind me on the flight from
Austin to San Diego. She is a mother of several teenagers and lives
in Austin. We didn't say much on the plane, but after landing, I told
her that I noticed that she was reading the Scriptures and asked her
if she was part of a church in Austin. She told me that she had been
attending a congregation, but she didn't feel like she really fit. I
invited her to visit our church and told her a little about it. She
told me that she was searching for a place with a teaching pastor. It
made me realize that so many Christians are just treading water
because too many "preachers" aren't living out their charge in Eph.
4:11-16. As we were collecting our luggage at baggage claim, she told
me, "I can tell that you have the Spirit of God in you." I was
shocked. I had never consciously thought about someone noticing and
verbalizing the presence of God in my life. When I was discussing the
conversation with Brandi afterward and how amazing it was that someone
would notice God's presence in me, Brandi said, "That should be common
place." Indeed, my desire is that Christ will increase and I will
decrease, and that I will keep in step with the Holy Spirit so that
everyone that I come in contact with will know Him and His love.
We caught a bus from the airport to the transit center where we
purchase several four-day passes. As we were paying for our passes, a
homeless lady came in carrying an infant bundled up in a blanket, and
asked loudly, "I need a day-pass; would someone buy me a day-pass."
Brandi leaned over and asked if we could buy her a ticket, so we did,
and the lady was very appreciative. Walking out of the transit
center, Brandi told me that it wasn't a baby that she was holding; it
was a stuffed animal. She was mentally handicapped. My heart sank.
Why aren't evangelical Believers of all denominations not uniting in
compassionate ministries for the homeless, widow, fatherless, and
alien? Why isn't the Body of Christ characterized by her sacrificial
love?
Bonnie is a middle-aged lady, and she was standing at the trolley
station when we walked up. She was pleasant and very interested in
Beau. We found out that her daughter and son-in-law live near San
Antonio and enjoy the party scene in Austin. She also told us that
she is actively searching for a job; she sends out dozens of
applications and resumes each day. To give herself a break, she rides
the trolley from one end to the other - to keep from going crazy. It
reminded me that I am so blessed to have a job, especially in this
economy. I can imagine how frustrating it is to search for a job,
especially without a relationship with the Lord. I pray that the Lord
will bless her with a good job soon, and I pray that she will find the
eternal joy and peace of a walk with Him.
Scrambling to get our stroller, diaper bag, and son on the bus with us
to the zoo, we plopped ourselves down next to Shirley at the front of
the bus. She was very kind to make room for us and accommodate our
stroller stuck in between the seats. After a little conversation, she
told us that she was only a few months in San Diego - starting a new
life. She had lived several other places, but she said that she was
tired of watching life go by. She was living at the YWCA and starting
a culinary school with a focus in pastries. She told us that she
wanted to open a little bakery in a small town, sell coffee and
sweets, and call it "Just Desserts." Thinking about Bonnie and
Shirley, I am reminded of Proverbs 29:18: "Where there is no vision,
people perish..."
Waiting on a bus from the zoo back to the hotel, there was a lady who
walked up to the bus stop with her husband, and she was cursing about
the bus schedule. She went on and on about whether or not the bus was
early or late and how hungry she was, but she wanted something
substantial to eat because she was tired of eating the cheap food that
"they" were giving her, and there weren't any good restaurants near
their hotel, and they were going to have to walk from the bus stop to
their hotel because the bus didn't go all the way to the hotel even
though the guy at the hotel told them that it did, and how long were
they going to have to wait for the next bus because she was hungry,
and ... So, I thought I would try to give her some peace of mind by
reassuring her that the bus was scheduled to pick up in another ten
minutes. She began to tell me that she was diabetic and she needed
some good food. I tried to look up a bus schedule and some
restaurants for her on my phone, and while I don't think I really
helped her that much, she did seem to calm down a little. Afterward,
I couldn't help but think about her lostness; she just seemed so lost.
It wasn't like she was malicious or overtly evil or anything, just
lost. It reminded me of the foggy bus stop and subsequent
conversations in CS Lewis's The Great Divorce. One of the most
impressive points in those fictional conversations was the divergence
from the Lord of those who don't know Him and the convergence into Him
of those who love Him.
Heavenly Father, you are sovereign and good. Lord, please give me
humility and compassion so that I can be used by you to engage people
with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Lord, please fill me with the fruit
of the Holy Spirit, and may I keep in step with the Spirit as you pour
your love through me. You are so kind and gracious, Lord. I pray in
the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
