DAY 5: Annoyed? Me?! Ooops...

On my very first mission trip ten years ago, our group had gone to visit an orphanage. This was my first mission and also our first mission with my church at the time so we were feeling our way through and leaving much of our agenda in God's hands. It was quite freeing to be able to have a plan and to hold it loosely knowing that with a hurricane looming off the coast, anything could happen at any time. While there, we saw so many children who were full of energy and excited about having fun with this group of strangers. But as I looked off to the side of where we were ministering, I noticed something odd. There was an old tree stoop that had what looked like an extra lump to the side. Upon further research, I saw that it was a young boy and I snapped a picture of him, then put my camera down and simply smiled at that lone eye. The boy never came out from behind the tree, but for a moment, there was no one in world but me smiling at him and him smiling shyly back at me. For one moment he had my undivided attention. For one moment, he was all that mattered.

I think of this boy at times and hope that someone notices him. So often we get so busy with life that we barely have the chance to stop and really notice the people and places around us. Today, as I was praying about what to write, the phone rang. My first reaction was annoyance (otherwise known as negative emotion #5 at this moment). I was annoyed that my time was being interrupted. In my annoyance, I even stubbed my toe as I headed for the phone (figures)...only to find that the person on the other end was calling to bless me with a yummy treat. Oops...my bad...Annoyed? Me? Noooooo...certainly you can interrupt me at any time...sigh...yeah I'm a mess. I was immediately convicted and wondered how often do I do things that could be annoying to the Lord (if he weren't quite as grace-filled as I know him to be). I ask God the same questions over and over again. I walk the same wrong direction and have the same negative emotions continually rear their ugly heads. Yet and still, God is continually patient with me.

We are often busy with our plan for how the day should go, but we forget to hold that plan loosely and allow for God to take the reigns. He is the best "event planner" and can orchestrate the most special moments of your life if you let him. How sweet is His word that declares, "Therefore the LORD longs to be gracious to you, And therefore He waits on high to have compassion on you. For the LORD is a God of justice; How blessed are all those who long for Him." (Isaiah 30:18)? It is so sweet to know that God longs to be gracious to us. He takes his time with us. He notices us. He notices you and he knows you. Just as he did with the woman with the issue of blood in Luke 8, he stops for us and doesn't just rush on by. And when he stops, he isn't annoyed and hasn't lost his compassion or his graciousness towards us.

What an incredible gift that is!

Today, you have an opportunity to share that gift with those that you pass each and every day. You can approach this new week with intention and attention to those things that rarely get your undivided focus. When a child passes, wave and smile and look them in the eye. When someone calls, take the call. When you think of someone, stop in that moment and send them a text or an email or pick up the phone and call to just let them know that you were thinking of them. This week, you can decide to give someone that priceless gift that keeps on giving--your time. You must remember that the idea of stopping to smell the roses never goes out of style. The roses don't need you to smell them, but think of all the great aroma of life you miss when you pass them by.

Life happens in those little moments when we pay attention to the little things and make connections of the heart that may only even take a moment or two but will last you (and hopefully the other person) a lifetime. Release your annoyances and move in compassion. And through it all, pray that God will give you a heart like His...one filled with compassion, mercy and grace.

Lord, today do us like you promised in Ezekiel 36 and 'give us a new heart and put a new spirit in us...remove our hearts of stone and cause us to walk according to your will'. We want to notice others as you notice us. We want to show others compassion as you are steadfast in your compassion towards us. We want to leave annoyance in our past and have a future orchestrated by your mighty hand. Amen.

Blessings,
Pastor Andrea