This evening,
I was blessed to join with some friends that I haven’t seen in a while and
attend worship at their ministry. We planned to have dinner and hour before to
catch up and chow down. As we navigated our way through the dining hall, we
ordered meals, grabbed drinks and headed to pay. I was pulling my money out of
my wallet when one of my friends came up beside me and informed me that he was
going to pay for my dinner. Of course, I refused, telling him to save his
money. And of course he won the battle.
Such a
generous act of kindness was almost shocking to me. It was as if I couldn’t
believe someone would do that without expecting anything in return. The act of thoughtfulness
settled into the depths of my heart as we made our way into worship.
When the
pastor was done teaching and the worship team had finished leading, we resorted
back downstairs to get our belongings and make our way to my car. It then hit
me that I had left my leftovers in a small-group room. We immediately noticed
that there was an important meeting going on, and neither of us was too excited
to interrupt it just to grab my food. And in that moment, I was hit with shame.
Here it was, someone had paid for my dinner—a dinner I could have and should
have paid for myself—and I was potentially about to waste his money. Guilt
settled in my stomach.
It wasn’t
until I was headed home, rethinking the evening’s events, that it hit me. Jesus
Christ paid a price for me that I should have paid myself. A price much greater
than the cost of any dinner I’ve ever had. And yet so often I waste His glory
and grace without a second thought. I leave leftovers, hidden in a box, to be
thrown away or wasted.
In the
end, my friend had knocked and went in to get my leftovers. He wasn’t worried
about his money being wasted or even the possibility of being embarrassed when
he entered the room. He was most concerned that I not go without. He was Christ-like.
I sometimes
ignore God. I don’t thank Him enough. I try to gain control. I pretend I have it
all together. And yet, in every moment, His heart yearns to take care of me. He
goes out of His way to untangle things I’ve caused to knot and He gives even
when I refuse to take.
I was
blessed this evening to join with friends I haven’t seen in a while and
worship. But more importantly, I was reminded of the generous, faithful God I
serve. And that is what matters most.
In
His Love,
Brittany
