faith-walk

God gives us grace for the time we need it, and sometimes He lets us show His grace to others. But do we always obey? I wish I could answer, “Yes” so far as I am concerned. Unfortunately, that is not the case.

Two times eat at my heart when I think of them, bringing pain for the lost opportunity to possibly make someone’s life a bit brighter, if only for a moment. One was in a mall in another state. I was waiting outside a book store to meet my daughter. I saw a man enter the bookstore: I watched person after person turn away from his terribly deformed face. Nobody spoke to him as he walked through the busy shop. I wanted to go after him just to say hello, give him a smile, look into his face, and hopefully strike up a conversation. A little thing, but would it have made a difference to someone whose misfortune caused others to turn away? I hesitated too long — when I entered the shop, he was gone. Opportunity missed.

The other wasn’t a momentary opportunity: the door was open much longer, but I never went through it. When we were living in Ireland, a small “traveler” boy took up with me. His name was Johnny, and he was 10 years old when he first came to our door. We lived in the country, and my husband gave Johnny’s dad permission to park his caravan on our property. (In Ireland the “travelers” are descendants of the original tinkers. Many live in brightly painted caravans, as did Johnny and his dad.) When we were moving back to America, I promised Johnny I would write to him, sending letters to general delivery at the post office in that little town.

The reason I did not write was a good one — or was it?

By the time I put my own problems aside and wanted to write to Johnny, it was too late. They had been thrown off the land and had left the town. There was no way I could get a letter to Johnny. Would it have made a difference? I think it might have.

How often do we miss the blessing of blessing others? I now make it a point to speak to strangers, especially the ones who look unhappy or angry. I love watching frowns turn to smiles. It almost always happens, and I am blessed. Yet Johnny and the unfortunate little man in the mall haunt me still. I pray that someone else blesses them as I should have done.

May we always be alert for the opportunity to let God use us to bless someone — and may we always be willing to let it happen!