We are rounding the corner of the driveway through Taco Bell. My window is down & the air is beautiful. He approaches our truck from my blind spot.
Excuse me, Miss. Do you have any spare change for the homeless?
It is in this moment too many things are pouring into my subconscious. Whether or not this man is homeless is insignificant. My children are watching.
I look down and notice a dollar in my console and hand it to the man. We shake hands through my window and he wishes God's blessings upon me. Emma immediately floods the cabin with questions.
Jesus wants us to treat every person we encounter as it were Him. I clarify. This man says he doesn't have a home, so we ought to take care of him.
But he is not Jesus, she fires back.
No, but we still need to treat every person with respect and compassion.
I find that no matter what the situation, my blessings have become my personal parrots. If I ask Emma to put the dogs into the kennel, she obediently yells at them to KENNEL UP! And continues to yell at them. Her voice can perfectly echo how I call each of the dogs by name. (It usually does not sound pleasant.)
On the contrary, I have been insistent that Emma & Jack assist in taking care of the home: clearing dishes, picking up toys. Recently at a church dinner, Jack enjoyed his brownie sundae. When he was finished, he quietly got down, excused himself past the Pastor's wife, and threw away his dishes.
Just a while ago, Roy & I shared a tender moment in our kitchen. Emma spotted us and instantly joined us in our huddle. With her small arms wrapped around our legs, she looked into our faces with pride and security.
Our children, placed in the care of us by our Creator, are constantly learning from our actions, regardless if we are saying anything or not. They will see how we treat and what we say about our spouses, our friends, our enemies, strangers in our community, and then, mimic us in our actions. It is in these reflections, I need to be committed to being transparent all the time and that my actions, even when unseen, glorify Him.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Parrots
Posted by The Jerrolds Family at 2:31 PM
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3 comments:
I always carry a Bible that I don't mind parting with, just in case I have the opportunity to give it away to someone who needs it. I've probably given more than 10 Bibles to homeless people and I've been told its odd (I guess people think its wrong that I give the Bibles without time to actually witness) but I am always trusting that God can do that part. :)
Ethan is just now starting to notice Mommy and Daddy being romantic; dancing, hugging, kissing... he smiles from across the room and will usually follow it up with something like "Daddy loves you a lot, huh Mommy?" and it reminds me that they need to see that, for their own security, as my Mother-in-Law puts it. :)
I loved this post - good reminders!
Wow- your writing is incredible. Thank you for sharing for all to read and ponder and maybe even change what we do because of what we have read.
This is amazing. It belongs in the Sunday paper for every mother and father to read. Even for every non-believer to read so that they can hear the true voice of Jesus as he speaks through those that love him. I will be forwarding this on. Love ya.
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