Showing posts with label give grace. Show all posts
Showing posts with label give grace. Show all posts

Monday, October 7, 2019

Never Ever Get Tired of Doing Good



“Brothers and sisters, never get tired of doing good.”
‭‭2 Thessalonians‬ ‭3:13‬ ‭ERV‬‬

Guess what I had my last week before retiring ...a “chicken biscuit” day! If you don’t what that is, my son sometimes buys an extra chicken biscuit and gives one away to a homeless person on the way to work. He just rolls down his window and hands it out at a red light.

Every day on my way to work, I pass by a girl that is waiting at a bus stop on Hulen Street. She is there at exactly 6:55 AM. She is dressed in an outfit that one might wear to a fast food restaurant. She always, always looks down and tries to be invisible. I have passed her for several years. I have imagined how I could bless her. Since Friday was my last day, I was running out of time.

I have tried to time the stop so I could talk to her when the light was red. I have tried turning down the street next to her but cars turned in as well behind me. She would get on the bus.

I saw her at the bus stop and turned into the street and did a u-turn. I yelled out the window, “Hey!” She turned and looked. I said, “Please come over here.” She had courage to run over to a total stranger and take a chance of missing her bus. But she did. I told her that I pass her everyday and pray for her. She smiled so big. She said, “My name is Joanna.” I told her my name was Pat. I gave her some money and told her to spend on whatever she needed.

How can we encourage each other to not be weary in doing good? I looked up ideas of things to have in my car to give away when I see a needy person. The only thing that would stop me is courage to do this

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Friday, February 3, 2017

Show Mercy to Others

“Yes, you must show mercy to others. If you do not show mercy, then God will not show mercy to you when he judges you. But the one who shows mercy can stand without fear before the Judge.”
‭‭James‬ ‭2:13‬ ‭ERV‬‬
One thing about reading the Bible everyday for years, you can never exhaust the knowledge that you gain from it. The knowledge and truth will be what you need that day and the same verse may show someone else that they need.
These verses jumped on me today. As a teacher of middle school students, it is a daily occurrence that a student needs mercy! They are their own worst enemy. I can't give up on them, no matter how hard I may be tempted. I can never lose hope in what they will become one day. If I don't show mercy to a 7th grader, how can I expect God to show mercy to me?
How about about work? Have you given up on your boss or a coworker? Do you sincerely give them mercy? Love never quits. Never. Don't give up on God transforming them if you ask Him.
How about people you encounter in everyday life? This is a tough one because we don't think it matters. When a salesperson messes up our order or we get overcharged or a driver smashes our car or the waiter brings us the less than perfect order? We act like this person is doing this on purpose to us and we do not give them one ounce of mercy. God will remember this when it's time for us to need His mercy. We have a hundred reasons why we deserve mercy but we accept no reasons why that person needed mercy.
What about family member? Probably every person has a story of a relative that has hurt you or wronged you and you do not feel like giving them any mercy. You tried but you have washed your hands of them. You have no hope that they will ever change. Aren't we thankful that God does not give up on us.
How about in our marriages? Do I give mercy to Mark? I try to pray every Tuesday specifically for Mark. Do I pray with confidence that God can be trusted to transform Mark? I must admit that Mark is a much better person than me but he still has some mess-ups and my first reaction is to not give him mercy. Why? We just do that when people offend us. But I certainly expect Mark to show me mercy when I mess up.
God is patiently speaking to us through His word. However, sometimes we just don't have "ears to hear." Lord, I pray that what you say in your word literally jumps off the page.
“Love never gives up on people. It never stops trusting, never loses hope, and never quits.”
‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭13:7‬ ‭ERV‬‬