Those on Our Path

This week, I've been busy thinking about those the Lord has placed on my path.

In one case, a neighboring household surprised me by bringing by two plates, dinner, for my nephew and me. My nephew had cautioned them, months ago, that someone appeared to be "casing" their "quads," off-road vehicles, in their driveway. Suddenly, they appeared at the back door with this nice treat. The most amazing part is that we, like many others in our community, have constantly gossiped about them and their ways. I am deeply ashamed. Obviously, we totally misjudged them. I am grateful to God for the chance to amend my opinion. To be truthful, I should never have plunged into the general thinking about this family, anyhow. I should know better than to run with the pack before all the facts are in.

In another matter, a neighbor's air conditioning went out. He's 81 and must still work full time. It was inconvenient for me to call the AC repair man, set up a time, get the keys, let him in, oversee the matter, close up when he was done, and then return the keys. Still, after it was done, I was happy that I had helped. I was a bit ashamed of my early resentment on this matter, but happy that I did what I could anyway.

The third case involved a little lost dog who was running around across the street, in another neighbor's yard. The neighbor finally caught up with the little one, and her elderly mom called me to see if I might know its owner. I didn't. And even though I felt a bit annoyed at the interruption to my day, I made about four calls, asking around. At one home, a resident mentioned the possibility of checking with a local vet or PetSmart to see if the little one had a chip embedded (it didn't). She also offered to take the little one if nobody seemed to claim it. Again, my early resentment turned to a warm fuzzy, knowing that I might have been one link in the chain of events, getting this lost dog to a new home.

Father, forgive my initial resentment of the people you entrust to my care, no matter how much or how little that may be. Help me, please, in the future, to be less concerned with myself and more concerned with what you expect of me to do.