For service industry
personnel my normal practice is to tip for good service. On a few occasions when my morning
newspaper was not delivered I had to call for redelivery. Occasionally
I find the paper on the sidewalk or in the gutter, rather than in the driveway.
I ignore the solicitation that comes through the newspaper asking me if I want
to add a carrier tip on my remittance, as well as the preprinted card reminding
me to think of my carrier during the holiday season. This year however, my
carrier sent me a personally addressed Christmas card, so I mailed a monetary gift…and
my newspaper began inching it’s way closer to the door. On Saturday morning I woke up to about six
inches of snow on the ground and the morning paper on the door threshold. I’ll
be honest, it tweaks me to have to pay for good service. However, Paul tells me
there is another way to look at the situation, “This service that you perform
is not only supplying the needs of God’s people but is also overflowing in many
expressions of thanks to God. Because of the service by which
you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that
accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in
sharing with them and with everyone else. And in their
prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing
grace God has given you” (2 Cor 9:12-14 NIV).
1 comment:
Gail;
-----God’s eyes behold all actions. He knows all thoughts. He is present everywhere. Nothing escapes His awareness. Not even our emotions. The immensity He must be in order to see so completely through every last one of seven billion people does not strike me with near the awe as does the depth to which His intimacy permeates each and every one. He not only knows the number of hairs on every head, He knows the number of atoms in each hair. Moreover, both numbers mean something to Him.
-----I think most of us, at one time or another, even if only briefly, have dreamed about being a great movie star. I am sure the power in moving the hearts and minds of massive audiences is an intoxicating thing. I am also sure few of us have any realization whatsoever just how much training and effort is involved in looking good on a big screen.
-----”Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see thee hungry and feed thee, or thirsty and give thee drink? And when did we see thee a stranger and welcome thee, or naked and clothe thee? And when did we see thee sick or in prison and visit thee?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.’” (Matt 25:37-40) Have we given any thought to the fact that every human alive is a big movie star? How much more massive an audience can one have than the Almighty God of all existence? How much bigger screen can He watch you on than the heart of each and every person you effect? How much more resolution can your actions be displayed in than right down to the last electron of the last atom of each heart and the precise emotion it means? Jesus wasn’t stating a mere analogy when saying He ate when we fed the hungry. He tasted every bite. He closed His eyes and savored every flavor of it which this hungry man eating your generosity savored. His stomach growled every growl of the hungry man we passed by. We are all gianormous movie stars playing on more big screens than we can imagine to the biggest Audience of all existence. So maybe we should study the Acting Manual some more, so we can look reasonably well on all those big screens that Audience is watching.
Love you all,
Steve Corey
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