ran·dom
adj.
Having no specific pattern, purpose, or objective: random movements.
pur·pose
n.
1. The object toward which one strives or for which something exists; an aim or a goal:
2. A result or effect that is intended or desired; an intention.
In my previous role as pastor, God gave me the priviledge of being able to meet and minister to all kinds of people. He brought me some of the most interesting and troubled people. He brought people who made me laugh and challenged my thinking. I loved being able to speak truth
into their lives and see the light go off when they learned of a lie they had been believing and how it had impacted their life. Or when they heard God for the first time. Or when I acknowledged a time in my life when I experienced a similar situation and how God had completely healed the wound. It was exhilarating and gave me a sense of purpose while shaping the person I am today.
One of my greatest struggles since becoming a stay-at-home mom is not having these daily encounters. Today the Lord shared with me He is still bringing me people to impact and who will challenge and inspire me. I said, "Lord, I don't know if you've noticed but I'm at home now. No appointments, no meetings, no encounters in the bathroom- it's amazing how many conversations take place in the Ladies Room of an office building." (I don't know if you have these kinds of talks with God but I routinely challenge Him much like my children challenge me.) God reminded me of all the people He routinely places in my path. The cashier at the JoAnn's I like to go to. The waitress at the coffee shop I see each week. The neighbors who have come and gone across the street. The parents of kids my children have gone to school with. The stranger I met yesterday morning at church. The elderly lady who walks by my house everyday. Random people placed in my path. What if thy weren't so random? What if God placed me in this town, on this street, in this house stategically? Wow, this changes everything!
As I was chatting with a friend this morning, I was reminded of a story I read years ago entitled, " Pandora's Box". It was not about the mythological Pandora but was related in a way. There was a woman named Pandora who died and went to heaven. When she got there she had a tour guide. This guide took her to see all the sights and there were many. You can imagine how grand this tour was. To end the tour they walked into a room with shelves lining every wall from floor to ceiling. It was a tall room, in fact you couldn't even see the ceiling it went so high up. Each shelf was filled with boxes. (The kind you see on tv that are wrapped with beautiful bows and look like they took hours to wrap. Where the lids and boxes are wrapped independently so you can easily remove the lid to reveal the contents. You get the picture.--.--Who has time to wrap like that?) The guide told Pandora to go ahead and look in the boxes. As she began to open each box she was speechless at all of the different things in each box. Such treasures, such splendor, more than you could ever imagine was in each box. Box after box the contents kept getting better and better. Finally when Pandora couldn't stand it any longer she asked, "What are all of these boxes?" "Who do they belong to?" The guide replied, " They were all to be yours. These are the blessings the Lord had for you but throughout the course of your life and decisions made you were not able to receive them." Wow, that story made quite an impact on me. Seven years later, the Lord used that story to ilustrate a point. This morning the Lord equated each of those boxes of blessings to people; those random people I mentioned previously.
What if one day you or I have a tour of Heaven and the Lord reveals all the people he meant for one of us to impart something of Him or the ones that could have imparted to me (and wanted to) but out of my wounding, fear or insecurity I didn't push myself to get to know. Or maybe it was on one of those days when I was too busy and in a hurry to scratch off the next "to do: on the "to do list" so I didn't take the time to get to really listen to those around me.
Each of us, no matter what your title, can be used by God in mighty ways. Everyday we have a choice to allow the Lord to guide us throughout the day in encountering people with purpose. Be in tune with His spirit. Take time to listen when He prompts us to spend a few extra minutes with those people in your path. I have a friend who can't go anywhere without "random strangers" telling her something about themselves. We laugh about how frequently this happens. What if those encounters aren't random at all? What if she was predestined to impact each and every one of those people in some way? If each one of us did so what an impact it would make on this world we live in.
I learned this morning that no matter your title or station in life, God will use us if our hearts are right, our eyes and ears are open and we say yes. Today I'm choosing to say, "Here I am. Send me. I'll be a light to people needing hope, encouragement and kindness."
Isaiah 61:1
The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, (NIV)
Matthew 5: 14-16
You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. (NIV)
Proverbs 27:7
As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another. (NIV)
Isaiah 6:8
Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I. Send me!" (NIV)
