Thinking Bigger

Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.  Matthew 7:6

I'm always amazed at what we can learn from God when we are selflessly obedient to doing what He has asked.  If you know anything about our church, you know were are focusing on serving others right now during the Christmas season.  This is something we have done for the past three years I've been going to ChristWay, but this time is different for me.  Maybe it's because I'm totally open to God at this point in my life, and maybe it's just the simple fact that I'm finally being more sensitive to His leading.  Whatever the reason, He touched my life today. 

Yesterday, I was eating my lunch and saw a couple across the way.  They were talking a little bit, looking at their phones, and just enjoying a quiet lunch.  There wasn't anything particular about them, but I thought it would be nice to pick up their tab if only I could get to the cashier before they did.  After eating about 3/4 of my sandwich and soup, I decided it was time to go make this happen, so I got up, took my check and headed to do the deed.  When I handed the cashier my check I leaned over and said, "I'll pick up the tab for the couple over my shoulder."  She looked puzzled and after pointing their way, she got their check and gave me the total.  At this point the card machine decides not to work, so she took my card to the "other" machine.  Now this whole time I'm standing there beginning to shake and thinking this guy is going to walk up behind me wanting to pay for his meal...and you know what happened right?  Yes, he walked up just as the lady came back with the receipt.  So I signed the receipt, put a tip for both tables, turned around to hand him a "you got served" card and dropped it on the floor.  By this time I'm shaking even worse because I had hoped to be done and gone by then, but God has a way of keeping me humble.  Anyway, I picked up the card off of the floor, handed it to the guy, said "Merry Christmas", and turned around and walked out of there as fast as I could.  Needless to say, I think I was shaking for 20 minutes after the fact.

But what is cool is the end result.  This couple wasn't just some random people I picked out in a restaurant.  They were God ordained to be in that place at that time.  My little bit of generosity is resulting in them talking to their pastor about their church being more generous to their community.  Who would have thought that?  I thought "You Got Served" was supposed to be about helping people in need.  But what God showed me today is, we are supposed to help those who God leads us to help, not just those in need.  So today as you help others, be mindful that God desires to open the door to those who need help AND to those who are going to take that help and help others.  Let's think bigger than the needy.  Let's think about the kingdom.