Love in Deed

Go grab another cup a coffee make yourself comfortable and read a pretty cool God story ...


Our church has been doing a series called Love in Deed. 

Here's a brief description about it... 

What if our community was characterized by how we serve? What if it was more than three hours on a Saturday? What if loving our neighbor requires action?

Service isn’t meant to make us feel good, though it often does. It is not a way to make God love us more. It is a humble offering in recognition of our mutual need for Jesus. We serve because Jesus served first. Deeds of service are acts of worship, active worship—mirroring Christ, who donned a towel to wash even the feet that would run to betray him.

What would it look like to imitate Jesus? What if our deeds were not done out of obligation, but out of love and gratitude? What would it look like to serve others, not just to feel good, but to cultivate goodness within?

Love is the mirror that reflects the image of God, and this must be love in deed.

Last Sunday our pastor talked about Isaiah 58:1-8 

In verse 7 Is it not to share your food with the hungry and provide the poor wanderer with shelter -when you see the naked to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? 

this verse stuck out to me.. also our pastor challenged us to take this week to act on serving which got my mind wondering what I could do.  

I remembered a story that happened to me a few months ago.. 

Me and the 4 kiddos went to the dollar store which is located close to downtown, lots of homeless people hang outside and ask for money as you walk in .. sometimes we give but every time we do we say this is a gift from God. This particular day there wasn't anyone outside. We walk around the store, or really should I say chase Jonas around the store, got the things we needed and waited in line. It was busy around lunch time and lots of workers buying lunch or a snack. I was in the check out line when heart began to race. I noticed the lady standing behind me in linewas dropping coins and digging in pockets counting out any coins she could find. A rush of emotions came over me and I started to shake, my heart was pounding then I thought I should buy her drink and chips she was buying. I had never thought or done this before. Then I wrestled with I didn't want to insult her that she couldn't find her money, or think I was doing it because she looked in need...but then I thought that's what Jesus would do. Within in a few seconds of thinking,  I was distracted by my 2 year old about to walk away touching stuff he shouldn't then he was knocking down the display. I quickly paid for my stuff and walked away feeling like I wish I would have just done it! 

I got in the car and thought about it .. "awe I wish I would have done it!" 

Fast forward a week... it was early in the morning and the kids and I were going to Sea World. Before heading off I was in need of some coffee, I was waiting in line at the drive-thru Starbucks. It was packed, two different car lines ready to turn into one drive thru lane. I was busy talking to my kids about our day at Sea World not really paying attention when I thought it was my turn to go when a lady starting yelling out of her car window " no way lady do you not see all these cars behind me are waiting before you?" I said oh wow all of them have been waiting before me ... really? So I backed my car out of line and told her to go ahead I'm so sorry! She said no go ahead you already jumped ahead and I said no I insist you go ahead. Really... she might have been there before me I wasn't paying attention but I know all the cars behind her where not there before me... which the next guy in line had let me go .. I make my order thinking wow the lady in front of me is taking a long time .. the kids are get antsy... I pull up to pay for my yummy white chocolate mocha, they handed me the coffee and said your all set the lady in front had paid for it! I said WHAT? the lady insisted she pay for it! The twins in the way back said what? I said the lady that was in front of me paid for my coffee and they both said wow that was nice of her ... she must have felt bad about yelling at me. Honestly, I have never had that happen before ever! I couldn't stop smiling I couldn't believe someone would do that for me!?  Especially because I had just wanted to do that for someone else last week!! I think it was God that wanted to show me an example and give me the boost to do it for someone else. I thought OK I'm going to do it for someone else next. It truly made me feel so good someone would do something so nice.

It was a hot day, when we left Sea World  I told the kids we could stop at McDonald's on the way home to get ice cream sundaes. They had never had them before ... crazy I know as I grew up with them.
They were so excited when we were again in the drive thru ...two fast food places in one day...that never happens. It's 3:00 and it's packed ,This jeep Cherokee comes driving really fast then cuts me off  by going over the curb in the drive thru .. she yells out her window ... I"m sorry and waves out her window! I said a little nervously it's OK ... she obviously was a in a huge hurry. She was in front of me in line and you could tell she was being so impatience creeping up close to the car in front of her. I"m thinking what is wrong with this lady? Then I order and head to the next window to pay... This lady gets out of her car and I was turned around talking to my kids and I look out my window and she's just standing there. Scared me to death ...I think I even screamed. She said I'm so sorry I cut you off I have a little boy that's two that is throwing a total tantrum screaming he wants some milk!! I could actually hear him because her car door was open. He was flipping out. She was so rattled... she said I'm paying for whatever you're getting to apologize for cutting you off and I said NO please don't, it's fine I totally understand as I have 4 kids myself. She said she insisted as she was walking back to her car. She waved Goodbye and yelling thank you out her window.  I was awe struck! NO WAY did this really happen to me TWO times in the same day .. someone paid for me?!!! I couldn't believe it and the kids couldn't believe it.. we were so shocked. OK God you really were teaching me a lesson how to do something nice for someone! What's really cool is that my kids got to witness the whole thing and see how good it feels to give and receive... I was on a mission the rest of the weekend to pay it forward to someone...Finally I pulled the trigger, just this week on Tuesday,  it was loud and clear who I needed to help. It's amazing when someone does one small blessing how much it can actually make a difference. stay tuned  for the rest...