Right Before My Eyes

I pray every day to be more like Jesus. I awaken with the sun rising and see the splendor of God right before my eyes. The beautiful colors overtake the darkness.

I give thanks for another day and the many Blessings the Lord has bestowed on me. I consecrate myself to the Lord and offer my day for His Glory. Help me be who You want me to be today, Lord.

But some mornings, like this morning, I also wake up with a bit of worry on my mind. It takes real effort to dispel that worry before it invades my heart. Today's worry was that my little car is getting old like me. I know the time has come for a newer one. Car buying, like cancer, is not for the faint of heart. There are so many options and so much pressure to make the right decision. Making a bad decision can be very costly. That is what was weighing on me when I opened my eyes today.

I prayed, "Lord, let me trust in You. Let me see You in this day. I surrender my life to You, Jesus. Take care of everything. Amen"

I had an early morning appointment scheduled for a recall on my car and I didn't want to be late. To prepare for the time I would spend waiting at the repair shop, I packed a bag with water, coffee, a snack, and a book then headed out the door a few minutes behind schedule. Across the way, I saw my neighbors sitting in their car with the hood up. Parents and children were buckled in ready to go, but there was obviously a problem. What an awful start to the day, I thought to myself. God bless them! I hope they will be OK. At least they weren't stranded on the side of the highway!

For a split second, I thought of walking over to see if I could help. But, I quickly reconsidered. Really, what could I do to help? They are safe at home and can call someone they know for assistance. Besides, they aren't very friendly. They don't even respond when I wave or say hello in passing. I always feel like they just want to be left alone. That's how most neighbors are these days. We don't see each other anymore, so we certainly don't take care of each other anymore. I convinced myself they would be fine and headed out to my appointment. But, as I drove away, I pictured the times I'd been stranded in a parking lot or on the side of the road with my car hood up. It always felt terribly lonely when no one stopped to help or check on me. Maybe passersby just assumed I had someone to call for help. I turned my car around and headed back home.

I knew there was a chance they might reject my offer of help, but that doesn't diminish the value of my generosity. I am called to be kind and helpful to others, not to solve their problems. Not offering helps no one, and offering certainly won't hurt. I say that I want to be like Jesus. Here was a chance, right before my eyes.

Ignoring the apprehension welling up inside me, I approached my neighbor's car, smiled, and said, "Hi. I see you're having a little trouble, is there anything I can help you with?" The woman smiled back and said, "It won't start." The man said, "We are trying to figure out what's wrong with it. Might be the battery, but we don't have any jumper cables."

Aha! I could help after all! So, I got my cables and we hooked them up to connect our batteries. But, try as we might, their car wouldn't crank. Finally, I gave them the number to a local mechanic I trust and said a quick prayer aloud that they would be in good shape very soon. The young woman must have thanked me 20 times for helping them even though I didn't really do anything that actually helped their situation. She introduced me to her family and we were suddenly neighborly. The wall of disconnection crumbled right before my eyes.

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The readings this week speak about hypocrites who are saying all the right things, but not living those words. Not living as they were created to live. Not living as Jesus taught them to live. Not living as God wants us to live. The word hypocrite comes from the Greek word hupokritēs or actor and is defined as a person who looks the part and pretends to have virtues or qualities that he or she doesn't have. This Sunday, we will hear the Pharisees and scribes complaining about the disciples breaking the rules. Those complainers made the rules more important than the people. When they questioned Jesus about what they saw as a problem with the disciples, here was His response:

"Well did Isaiah prophesy about you hypocrites, as it is written: This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me... (Mark 7:6)

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Driving to my 7:30 am appointment, I realized my whole day had already turned around. My heart was light and joyful. I had no more worry or regret. I was so grateful that I listened when the Holy Spirit nudged me to turn around and offer help. I did what I would want others to do for me. God showed me an opportunity to be caring and courageous like Jesus. It was right before my eyes and I almost ignored it!

Look. React. Offer help even if you think you might be rejected.

There are plenty of opportunities to be like Jesus right before our eyes!

💜💜💜