However, right now I am not interested in hot dogs. I just want to get home. It's been 2 very long weeks away from my family. There's been a few challenges while I have tried to help manage the household from Ohio.
While we were boarding the flight, the boarding all of a sudden stopped. There was a group of people who were fresh from a mission trip in El Salvador who were having a good time sharing their experiences with those around them.
What made the boarding stop was their discussion with an older man pertaining to his salvation. While I absolutely support and affirm our call to support people as they feel the grace of God in their lives, and feel their hearts "strangely warmed" as Mr. Wesley puts it, I think we as leaders need to be present throughout the entire experience.
Once this group was done talking with this man, he wasn't done talking. He wanted to share all about his life, where he was raised, his grandchildren. They really didn't seem interested.
So, it caused me to pause. When we are helping people experience God's grace, I believe we need to be present. We need to be the hands and feet of Christ in their world at that moment.
Being "in the moment" with those who God calls children is imperative. We need to not only address the long term needs of those who we support, we need to support their immediate needs. We need to take a vested interest in the lives of those who we are called to serve.
This man had an amazing life to share. He was raised in Lewistown, Montana - just about 2 hours from where I was raised. He has children, and he loves them. He also has grandchildren.
And that's important - it's important to embrace and support the whole person.
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