I just finished reading the book Always Enough by Rolland and Heidi Baker, missionaries in Mozambique. This book tells of God’s abundant provision and faithfulness, as they are ministering to the hurting and forgotten in one of the world’s most impoverished countries. In this book, Heidi says, “We should stop every single time for each person…Stop for the dying man, the dying woman, the dying child on the road…Pick them up and bring them home. [God] wants to put eye salve on the eyes of the Church. He wants us to stop for the one. He wants us to see the one.” I have been thinking a lot about this topic of “stopping for the one” that God has placed in front of me.
I am aware of needs on a global basis. My heart breaks for the hurting, impoverished, abandoned, and neglected (especially children) throughout the world. My heart cries out over the deplorable conditions where my friends live in the slums of Nairobi. As I taught in inner city Atlanta, my heart constantly broke and my prayers are raised daily for my precious students and their broken homes. My anger and my passion are aroused by the injustices I see throughout our world, yet I often miss opportunities to love the people right in front of me.
Maybe it’s the outcast or the socially awkward who need friendship, but all I’m thinking is that I want to relax with my friends. It might be the homeless man, sleeping under the overpass, that I drive past as I am entering or leaving the city, but I’m in a hurry to get home after a long day. It might be the drama queen who is really crying out for someone to hear her heart, but all I can think is that I don’t have the energy for all the drama today. I want to love people, but on a daily basis I find myself withholding love.
I was sitting in church today lost in worship of my God who lavishes His love so freely upon me although I do not deserve it. As I was worshipping my Lord, singing of His love, the week’s events flashed through my mind… all of the people that I had failed to love, all the instances where I chose my own comfort over the needs of others. With the amazing, beautiful, unconditional love of Jesus covering me, who I am to withhold love from others?! Lord forgive me for my indifference, my judgments, and my pride. Change my heart. Teach me to love without bias every person that You place in my path. My heart longs to indiscriminately pour out love as You have lavished Your love on me. Show me the way.
