One month after her surgery Anne entered into the familiar store
front meeting room. All her old friends were there but they treated her
differently.
She looked pale and weak, not the funny, fearless person they knew
pre-surgery. They smiled politely and got involved in other conversations,
leaving Anne out. What was going on?
The Holy Spirit told me they were afraid. They had been used to a
person who had answers, wisdom, and strength. Here was the same person, but her
outward appearance was so different. They didn’t know how to handle it so they
didn’t talk to her. They avoided her for several months after her surgery.
At first I was mad at them for being so callous and disrespectful,
but then I realized THEY were the
ones to be pitied. They
were missing out on a great experience. What they could have gained in wisdom,
understanding and guidance, they had given up because of their own fears.
They just couldn’t seem to see past Anne’s exterior appearance and
perceived weakness.
People get sick and have things happen to them that change them.
That’s just a fact of life. But as Christians we need to be able to still give
people the respect and love they need.
The other day I was driving home from work and Jane was in the
passenger seat. We were approaching a corner where we’ve seen a skinny
raggedy-looking homeless man many times waving and smiling at everyone. The
Lord told Jane to give the guy $2.00. He was so excited and talked super-fast
as he told us he had been off of drugs and alcohol 15 days now and he could
drive and he could work. Jane and I both told him, “good job!” He “God blessed”
us several times as we said the same back to him. When we drove off we both
realized the guy was not nearly as excited about the money as he was about having
someone to tell his story to and them telling him he was doing a good job. People
want to be respected and appreciated.
Our God looks at the heart of a man or woman. When God sent Samuel
to find a king to replace Saul, even the great prophet was only looking at the
exterior: “And it came to pass, when they were come, that he [Samuel] looked on
Eliab, and said, Surely the Lord’s anointed is before him. But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look
not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused
him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward
appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart” (1 Sam 16:6-7).
God doesn’t look at race or nationality, at male or female,
background, culture, sickness, weakness or health. God looks straight through
to the heart and we need to practice this too. We all go through down times,
weak times. We don’t want to abandon people when they’re going through
something. We need to have a little patience, respect and more love. Isn’t that
what we’d want?
Love, Carolyn
Christmas is coming. Any of my books or booklets would make great
gifts.
If you’d like a FREE
pdf file or word document of my booklet, UPGRADING
TO GOD’S REALITY, let me know at cjmolica@hotmail.com .
If you have Amazon Prime you can also get many of my booklets for
free at: http://www.amazon.com/gp/search?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&index=aps&keywords=WINGS%20Carolyn%20molica&linkCode=ur2&tag=jmbcsds-20&linkId=XQMVLVZYNBLYAGEM
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