Surviving Chaos

Matthew 25:34–40

34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

I think I did it again. And honestly I don’t know how I feel about it. I can’t seem to get it out of my mind and that’s the part which bothers me the most. It’s the things that I have a hard time dismissing or ignoring which bother me the most because I know full well they were missed opportunities.

This morning started like every other morning; I got up, got dressed, and took my oldest to the bus stop well before anyone is supposed to be up. We exchanged some conversation on the way and I prayed for him to be a blessing to someone today.

He’s making me so proud. He’s a junior in a new, much larger high school and has a burden to see his fellow students come to know Jesus as their Savior and Lord. He’s bold about his faith and I smile each time he tells me about the new conversations he’s having or the new dreams of starting a prayer group within the school. What father wouldn’t be proud of a son who is following through with what he’s being taught at home. This is our job and mission as fathers, to raise up a bold generation who is willing to share the hope of Jesus.

So after dropping him off, I decided to do what every good father does in the wee hours of the morning, I went hunting for breakfast on my way to the office. I craved some breakfast pizza and made it to our local Casey’s general store. I went in, exchanged pleasantries with the cashier, purchased 2 pieces of breakfast pizza, and headed back to my car. As I was unlocking my car and getting ready to get in and drive away, a middle aged woman approached me. She asked if I had a cigarette, to which I responded that I didn’t smoke. She turned away and got back into her car. It was here that I knew I missed the opportunity God may have placed in front of me.

As I sat in my car buckling my seatbelt, I looked over and saw the woman for the first time. She sat quietly in her car, head down, tears running down her face. Something in her life was falling apart. Some grief, some pain, some frustration, and the only thing she new at the moment was to ask for a cigarette. In my haste I had dismissed her because I couldn’t connect with her. I stopped, bowed my head, said a simple prayer for this woman, and drove off. I had done all I could do and I was ok with that.

That’s when I knew I was in the wrong. That’s when I knew for certain that my heavenly father was looking down on me with a bit of disappointment. He wasn’t joyous over the fact that I had said a little prayer. He had placed this woman in my immediate sphere of influence and I missed the opportunity to make a connection with her.

How do I know that? How do I know for certain that this was a missed opportunity? As I began to drive away, I started munching down on one of the pieces of breakfast pizza I had purchased, I began to think about my reasoning behind purchasing two. When I was in the store, I was only going to purchase one slice of pizza. In fact, without making myself sick, one piece of pizza, first thing in the morning, is about all I can eat. So why buy two? I had no intention of purchasing two. The only reason I can logistically make is God was making preparations for me to minister to this woman, and in my haste I missed it. I didn’t have a cigarette, but I did have a slice of pizza to share with her. I don’t know the story behind her tears but I did have time I could give her. I missed the opportunity to minister to her needs and be the bit of hope in her life in that moment.

Lord, forgive me for the moments I let slip by, the opportunities to be a beacon of hope, and the ability to reflect your unconditional love. God help me to be a blessing in someone’s life today.

If you do anything today, please learn from me. Be a blessing to someone, even in the small things. You never know the impact your may be in someone’s life. One word, one action, one slice of breakfast pizza can alter the course of someone’s life.