Sunday, November 11, 2007

Are you Jesus?

Okay, I am not one to get all sentimental over those cheesy email forwards that people share, but this story I really liked, probably because I've been thinking a lot about this particular subject lately in regards to my own life, and the kind of person I'd like to be. This last year I set a goal to run triathlons, which I worked really hard on and I feel like I accomplished something I could be proud of. It built me up. This year, I'm setting a goal to reach out more to others, and to try to be of service whenever I can, in the hopes that I can have a hand in building others up, and showing them a small part of the love that our Heavenly Father has for them. Sometimes we think that we are small and can't make a difference, but I think it's the small things that can make the biggest difference.

Author Unknown

A few years ago a group of salesmen went to a regional sales convention in Chicago. They had assured their wives that they would be home in plenty of time for Friday night's dinner. In their rush, with tickets and briefcases, one of these salesmen inadvertently kicked over a table which held a display of apples. Apples flew everywhere. Without stopping or looking back, they all managed to reach the plane in time for their nearly missed boarding.
ALL BUT ONE !!! He paused, took a deep breath, got in touch with his feelings, and experienced a twinge of compassion for the girl whose apple stand had been overturned. He told his buddies to go on without him, waved good-bye, told one of them to call his wife when they arrived at their home destination and explain his taking a later flight. Then he returned to the terminal where the apples were all over the terminal floor. He was glad he did.
The 16 year old girl was totally blind! She was softly crying, tears running down her cheeks in frustration, and at the same time helplessly groping for her spilled produce as the crowd swirled about her, no one stopping and no one to care for her plight.
The salesman knelt on the floor with her, gathered up the apples, put them back on the table and helped organize her display. As he did this, he noticed that many of them had become battered and bruised; these he set aside in another basket.
When he had finished, he pulled out his wallet and said to the girl, "Here, please take this $40 for the damage we did. Are you okay?" She nodded through her tears. He continued on with, "I hope we didn't spoil your day too badly."
As the salesman started to walk away, the bewildered blind girl called out to him, "Mister...." He paused and turned to look back into those blind eyes. She continued, "Are you Jesus?"
He stopped in mid-stride, and he wondered. Then slowly he made his way to catch the later flight with that question burning and bouncing about in his soul: "Are you Jesus?" Do people mistake you for Jesus?
That's our Destiny, is it not? To be so much like Jesus that people cannot tell the difference as we live and interact with a world that is blind to His love, life and grace.
If we claim to know Him, we should live, walk and act as He would. Knowing Him is more than simply quoting Scripture and going to church.
It's actually living the Word as life unfolds day to day.
You are the apple of His eye even though we, too, have been bruised by a fall. He stopped what He was doing and picked you and me up on a hill called Calvary and paid in full for our damaged fruit.

4 comments:

Tristi Pinkston said...

Wow --that's a really beautiful story. Thanks for sharing it!

Unknown said...

Wow, that gave me goosebumps head to toe. We talk about having the image of Christ in our countenance, but really, as you displayed, it should be in our actions. That girl paid that man the greatest compliment he will ever receive in his entire life. True story or not - the lesson rings.

Unknown said...

Thanks for this touching story. Made my Monday brighter.

You might enjoy the singer I posted on my blog today. He's from Wales and totally awe inspiring.

Randi said...

Wow! I love that story! WHat a great thing to remember, too.
Thanks for giving me a reminder today!