Last night, I found a comfy chair in the lobby of our hotel and took advantage of something that had become rarity for the last month – quick wifi. Even though the clock nearly read midnight, I sat with a few squadmates as we used Skype, checked Facebook, and downloaded some new music.
As we connected with our friends and family while visiting with each other, I retrieved another rare commodity from my bag – chocolate chip cookies. I found them when I visited the market earlier in the day. The words “Australia’s Favorite Cookie” caught my eye. I must say, Australians have excellent taste when it comes to cookies. Delicious. I shared with my friends, of course. (Let’s be real, they would have uncomfortably stared at me until I shared anyway).
As I perused Noisetrade and Amazon for melodic bargains, a hotel staff member working the graveyard shift approached my friends and I with a smile. “Happy Friendship Day”, he said as he handed us a couple granola bars. Confused by the man’s random act of kindness, I asked him to repeat the motive behind this gift. “Today is Friendship Day,” he repeated a couple times with a smile remaining on his face.
He returned to his desk before eventually moving to an adjacent mat to rest for the night. Soon, I found myself alone in the lobby, reflecting on this thoughtful, unprompted gesture by a stranger. Could this be an example of good ol’ fashioned Indian hospitality? Or is this a picture of what it means to intentionally reach out to others? The smile on the man’s face suggested the latter.
Team Fearless Love & I faced the challenge of having minimal structured ministry this month. Due to the time of year, many people in our area were busy working in their fields. We began to slowly realize throughout the month that we needed to find our own creative ways to share the love of Christ with the people around us. (Read Alyssa Keene’s story about one of these times here)
God taught this to each of us in different ways. Throughout the month, I was reading Love Does by Bob Goff. The last line sums up the message of the book that spoke to my heart. “…Love does whatever it takes to multiply itself and somehow along the way everyone becomes a part of it. You know why? Because that’s what love does.”
I’ve realized that love shouldn’t be some complicated formula. Rather, it starts with Jesus and somehow travels through our broken selves as we do whatever it takes to reach out to others. We just need to do something.
So I did something.
After writing “Happy Friendship Day” on a Dominos Pizza napkin, I grabbed my second package of cookies and placed them under the note on the front desk.
I didn’t do this so I could feel good about myself. If that was my motive behind everything on The World Race, I’d be burned out by now. Similarly, I didn’t write this so I could say, “hey! look what I just did!”. Because, honestly, there are enough “feel good” stories out there as it is.
I shared my cookies with this stranger because I desire to not only experience God’s love in a new way, but to also pass that same love on to others in a new way. I am sharing this with you because it is something I am learning to do on a daily basis, and I believe this is the lifestyle we should all be living.
Jesus not only modeled friendship, he created it. And just as Jesus fearlessly loves us and everyone in history, it’s time that we reach out to those around us without hesitation.
What will your love do today?
