Reid knows his way around a library (and a Friends of the Library book sale room). In his zeal to scan their selection of outmoded, bargain VHS tapes yesterday, he bumped into one of the volunteer workers. And directed her to "Move." Immediately on his heels, I prompted him with a more polite alternative,"Excuse me please. I can't see the videos on that shelf." Lest she think I was unfamiliar with current social mores, right?
Shifting her puzzled gaze from me to him and back to me she retorted, "Thank you mom." I simply smiled in love, resisting the urge to correct her with "I'm not your mother."
Reid, my quick study, was off to the workroom asking the rest of the staff for the particular episode of Between the Lions he came in search of. Only then after additional observation the woman declared, "Oh, I see he has problems."
There was a day when that would have made my blood absolutely boil in anger, embarrassment, and protest, but not today. I truthfully and outloud replied, "No, just opportunities."
Opportunities for all of us. Reid has opened more doors for us than I can count.
A huge door of opportunity for good work has opened up here. (There is also mushrooming opposition.) 1 Corinthians 16:4-6 The Message
God went for the jugular when he sent his own Son. He didn't deal with the problem as something remote and unimportant. In his Son Jesus, he personally took on the human condition to set it right once and for all...simply embrace what the Spirit is doing in us. Romans 8:2-4 The Message
You remind me that I need to acquire a copy of The Message for myself. Sometimes it takes the modern words to really let the scripture sink in!
ReplyDeleteThe other verse that came to mind as I read this was "A soft answer turneth away wrath..." (Proverbs 15:1)
Love this post! I am thinking I'll buy mysely a copy of the The Message. I love how it reads, and how I understand it.
ReplyDelete