Faith Like a Child

A few nights ago I was sitting in the living room with my son, he was playing and having fun, when outside a group of scruffy looking guys, bedecked in strange long beards, tattoos and chains passed by the house.  Though we see many passers by our large picture window, I'd never seen that specific group before, and just as I recoiled inwardly and my brain bounded around thoughts like, Who are they? I wouldn't want to run into them in a dark alley. Why are they walking near our house? What do they want? I hope we locked the car. My son bounded over to the front window, with a wide, welcoming smile - and he waved.  To my surprise, several of the "gang" members smiled, and one even waved back. As my son hurried back to playing and chatter, I thought When did I lose that? 

I'm not sure. When was the last time I looked at people, ALL people and instead of being frustrated that they are in my way, or not moving fast enough, or intruding on my personal space, or rude because they look different than what I think they should, or upset because people haven't given me recognition lately? It's been a while.  When did I forget that I should be treating ALL people with the same warmth, and smile that emanated from my son? A smile never hurt anyone, nor did a kind hello ever kill anybody...but sometimes I act like if I have to do it, it might just kill me.

Thinking about the way my son hopped up, and ran to the window with a smile on his face, and his energetic wave as if he were welcoming friends instead of strangers, made me think, that's what Jesus is like. He isn't stopped by what we look like on the outside, or how we try to protect ourselves by the way we look, or an attitude that we hang onto.  Instead he greets strangers as friends.  It's easy to be polite, or superficial - but that's always what it comes across as - superficial. There was something about the genuinely innocent welcome that made all of the difference.  And aren't all people valuable enough to be treated that way? They are. It just takes some effort and a bit of forethought.

It's a goal I have.
Something to work at.
I'll let you know when its perfected.


For Bobbi - Who never misses an opportunity to treat people like they are important.