God Calls Us...

to kindness in these days.

Recently, our pastor told a story of a woman, driving down the road...  She was in a hurry.  Tailgating.  At the stop light, she pulled up too close to the car ahead of her.  When the light turned green, she inched even closer, beeping her horn, and berating the driver.  As she waited for the car to move, she heard a tap on her window, and looked up to see a police officer standing there.

"Ma'am.  I'm going to have to ask you to pull over."

She was confused, but did as the officer requested.  As she sat in the backseat of his cruiser, she wondered why the officer had stopped her. 

After some time, he opened the door for her and said, "Well, I'm gonna have to let you go."  She asked what had made him pull her over.

"I spotted the "fish," "WWJD," "Follow me to Sunday School!" and "ProLife" bumper stickers on the car, and after seeing your behavior towards the driver ahead of you, I was convinced the car had been stolen.

and the crowd sat stunned.

Okay, I'll speak for myself.  I sat stunned.  I was wondering what conflicting portraits I had painted of myself for others to see.  Had I shown anything less than mercy and kindness to others while dealing with my own life pressures? --all while I was hoping and/or expecting that mercy and kindness be shown to me?

Everyone has a story.  The world has a story.  And... sometimes your story colors your world in a way that causes you to react differently to events than other people would.  But let's not use our stories as an excuse for bad behavior.  God calls us to mercy -- literally kindness!

Here's a great read: "Divine Intervention in an Old Navy Parking Lot."  If you have a moment to read it, think about what character YOU would've played.  The lady buying the teddy bear?  The elderly woman?  Or the round-faced man?  Yep.  We all have a story.  I'm doing my best to make my story about KINDNESS.  It's where God has called me.

"He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.  And what does the Lord require of you?

To act justly and to love mercy (literally kindness) and to walk humbly with your God."

Micah 6:8