Wow… I had a slap in the face today when I visited my blog and realized that I hadn’t posted since April! Then as I scrolled down the posts I read the one I wrote on new years about diligence! Haha. Apparently I didn’t have a high-enough priority to put diligence into my blogging. Since then I have had a lot of life changes. I fell in and out of love (in fact… I wonder if the blogging is correlated! Haha), quit my job, and am now in pursuit of deciding what I want to do for the next segment of my life’s journey.
But true to my last post I have started to brainstorm a book with modern day stories of instances when I have seen Christ’s Character manifest in the actions and lives of ordinary people trying to become like him. These people are not perfect but have moments of perfection when the Lord’s love shines through them. Here is one called:
The Ninety-and Nine
I slipped through the doors to the church just as the congregation began singing the opening hymn. A few muffled voices soon grew as the nearly one-hundred members of the congregation joined in. I slipped to the back of the chapel and took a seat by myself. It had been a rough week. I had moved to Arizona, away from family for a job. I didn’t have a lot of friends in the congregation and was feeling pretty sorry for myself. I had been very selfish lately looking out for “number one”. Today was especially bad. I was feeling guilty for how self centered I had been.
After a few minutes a girl whom I had recognized but did not know walked through the chapel doors and made her way to the front. She sat down by herself and began to settle in. I glanced up to see a young woman in the back, whom I had previously judged as extremely young and inexperienced in life. She was extremely beautiful and I misjudged her as someone who was probably caught up in being the pretty girl. She was probably being selfish like I was. But then my mind was opened.
She too had noticed Emerald walk in and sit down. Without hesitation she stood up from her pew and pushed her way to the isle. She walked confidently up to Emerald, sat down, and put her arm around her. She then whispered into her ear and they both got up and walked back to the young woman’s group of friends near the back. They made room for her there. Emeralds face was glowing.
My eyes filled with tears as I watched Christ’s reflection return with one of its sheep. Although Emerald was not a lost soul (heaven knows she is more Christ-like than I will ever be), I was reminded of Christ and his leaving his ninety and nine sheep to go after the one lost lamb. In that moment, I was shown what the Lord meant by Charity. This woman, went out of her way without even thinking about it to include someone in her circle of friends when to leave it alone would have been the easier task. I learned a lesson from her that day that I will never forget. I saw a perfect moment in an imperfect person. I saw what it meant to be a disciple of Christ.
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