A Chance to Love
Yesterday I spent the afternoon at a coffee shop here in town. While I was there a middle school boy came up to talk to me. To be honest he was a bit strange in the way he approached me, and I was busy working on something “important” at the time. I wasn’t mean to the kid at all I was just indifferent. I had some polite small talk, but didn’t engage at all on an emotional level.
Here was my inner dialogue. “This kid is kind of strange, and I don’t really need him for anything in my life. He is not someone I can hang out with a lot, and he doesn’t really fit with any of my classes. Also, he is pretty socially awkward and the truth is I have enough of those folks in my life already. What I really need is some high functioning young Japanese men to invest my time and energy in, not some squirrelly 7th grader.
Of course my thoughts were not that blatantly rude or harsh, but that is definitely the reality of what they were based on. Pretty sick stuff huh. I’m thankful that God quickly convicted me of how off I was in that situation. And hopefully I will be able to engage and love this kid well next time I see him. (Minamata is a small town and I will see him again)
I really do need to be less hung up on searching for future leaders of the church here and just be more effective in loving the people that God brings into my life. The problem isn’t that this kid wasn’t cool enough to warrant my time; the truth is that I was to arrogant to give it.
Here was my inner dialogue. “This kid is kind of strange, and I don’t really need him for anything in my life. He is not someone I can hang out with a lot, and he doesn’t really fit with any of my classes. Also, he is pretty socially awkward and the truth is I have enough of those folks in my life already. What I really need is some high functioning young Japanese men to invest my time and energy in, not some squirrelly 7th grader.
Of course my thoughts were not that blatantly rude or harsh, but that is definitely the reality of what they were based on. Pretty sick stuff huh. I’m thankful that God quickly convicted me of how off I was in that situation. And hopefully I will be able to engage and love this kid well next time I see him. (Minamata is a small town and I will see him again)
I really do need to be less hung up on searching for future leaders of the church here and just be more effective in loving the people that God brings into my life. The problem isn’t that this kid wasn’t cool enough to warrant my time; the truth is that I was to arrogant to give it.
posted by Robert at
3:53 PM
3 Comments:
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Hi, I just wanted to thank you for your service for the Lord. My prayer is that God will provide you with the leadership that you seek. I am in the states and am getting pretty frustrated with the condition of the american churches. We have become so contemporary that the message of the gospel has been watered down. People do not know about the need to repent of their sins. Please ensure that whoever you get as leaders, that they truly understand the gospel and are able to teach it. Thanks again for your faithfullness to the Lord!
Brian
www.time2changechurches.blogspot.com
Robert, we're watching you now! Well, we're subscribed and hoping that you won't disappoint us. :D
Hope you're getting our updates. We made it to Karuizawa, start language school on Sept. 16.
Also hope you are doing well in all ways. Drop us a line to tell us the latest, and send us your updates (unless you charge for them).
(There, I managed to use 'hope' in all three paragraphs.)
cya!
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home