I had to go to Wal-Mart earlier today to pick up some soup & deoderant (yes, I always make Wal-Mart runs with bizarre shopping lists). When I was walking through Wal-Mart I noticed a woman walking towards me. It was in that moment I began to see a common thread. In my youth group lesson series, our new Sunday morning sermon series, and even the DVD we watched last night at Board Meeting there is this underlying common theme. Love.
God wants us to have a relationship with Him because He loves us. We're to reach out to the people who are hard to reach because God loves them! We're to unpack the garbage from our past that keeps us locked up (and help others to) because God loves us!
My mind raced as This woman and I approached each other withour shopping carts from opposite sides of the aisle. Did she know that Jesus loved her and just wanted her to rest in that love with any doubts, fears, and hurts (even doubts and fears about Him!) that she may have. Soon her eyes met mine and I realized what an awkward moment this was so I simply offered a smile and a hello.
Then I couldn't stop! Every person I passed I looked at wondering if they knew, wondered if they felt the longing of their Creator just to... be with them. Each time I offered a smile and a hello. Sometimes they were returned sometimes I was completely snubbed. I ended up spending about 20 minutes longer in Wal-Mart than I had to!
My hope is that somewhere in that smile and hello they caught a glimpse of Jesus (and hopefully I didn't have anything stuck in my teeth!). Yet at the same time I know that the smile and hello simply wasn't enough. Even if I had walked up to everyone and said emphatically "Jesus loves you!" It probably wouldn't be enough...
What am I going to do (and what are you going to do) to show a world that our God, their God, loves them. . . ?
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