For years one of my favorite places to take the kids was a local bookstore. We would grab a coffee or hot chocolate and read books and hang out for an hour or two on a Sunday afternoon. It usually was great except around Christmas when way more people than normal were there. One time the phone was ringing like crazy, interrupting my reading, so I asked the employee who was zipping past me, “Can someone please answer the phone?” She stopped, obviously on her way to help someone, already overworked during the holidays, and she just stared right into my soul and said, “I’m doing my best,” and walked on.
Last night during our monthly Elder meeting, our Chairman, Phil Peercy shared from 2 Corinthians 1:3-5, and focused on the idea of comfort, that God “comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us” (NLT). After sharing the verse, Phil made one simple statement: “Remember that everyone is going through something.” It’s so true. Everyone you pass by every moment of the day is facing something. That quiet (or loud) student sitting across from you, the co-worker hogging the copier, the aggressive driver ahead of you, or the old lady taking forever in the line at the post office, every one of them is facing something right now. You never know how God might have placed you right next to them to help them get through their challenges with just a small measure of grace.
After wallowing in my pierced soul for a few minutes, I found the lady who was merely trying to survive at work and apologized. “I’m sorry for being a jerk about the phone.” She understood and accepted my apology. The next Sunday she was there and I was able to ask her, “How is the phone today?” and we both chuckled.
When you encounter someone today who seems to be against you, ask yourself, “I wonder what they are facing today” and take a second to pray for them, and pray for the wisdom to know how to show them the love of Christ. You never know how a small gesture of kindness might change the course of their day. It’s by taking these small steps of faith, walking in the love we receive from the holy Trinity, that we can be a part of changing the South End of Louisville and leading people to Christ!