I thought about titling this post, "Why Do I Attract These People?" I decided against it for fear someone would read the post and think they recognized someone. I do not live in a huge city, so there is a chance of this occuring. Then, it felt as if the Lord was asking me, "What do I look like to people? What do people see in you?" Hopefully they see Jesus?
It all started Friday with an unusually early an unexpected arrival of a repairman. He was supposed to have shown up a week ago, but in his usually BUSY schedule he had not been able to get by here. I was still in my pj's, hair uncombed, drinking my coffee while listening to the conversations, laughter, and excitement of my kids. So when the doorbell rang, I sent my oldest son to the door, while I made a super mad dash up the stairs to try to look presentable in 0.3 seconds. Upon coming back down the stairs, I launched into a picking fuss with this good natured repairman for showing up without calling me. Since we have known him for awhile, we chatted about family, adoption, church, and finding your place in ministry. After he finished his repairs, he leaned up against the counter in the kitchen and his first reaction was "What in the world?" The counter top and cabinets were hot to the touch. The dishwasher has been having problems, like parts flying off at me, but now the heating element had not turned off the night before. It was still heating and becoming a fire hazard. So, he unhooked it for me, and it was the hand of the Lord that he had been to busy to come by last week.
About two hours later, a repairman for a local appliance store showed up unannounced to work on the "fire hazard" dishwasher. He proved to be a know-it-all ex church member that not only criticized our church, but several others in the area, in front of my kids. I had tried to be nice when he showed up and was really taken off guard at his response. At that point, I realized that anything I said was the wrong thing, so I stopped talking to him and only answered him in one word answers. He prattled on and on about different topics and his resentment and bitterness kept showing through. Thankfully my sweet husband showed up part of the way through this man's repair job, and his demeanor changed drastically. I let hubby deal with him, but the sad news is it will be December before I have a working dishwasher again. Even sadder is that this man is carrying baggage around with him that is eating away at his spirit.
Three hours later the third repairman of the day arrived. His was a scheduled visit, so I was expecting his interruption. He was very nice, but proved just as interesting. He was also a talker, and in the fifteen minutes he was here, I learned that he was a fan on one of our pastors, what he thought about homeschooling, his thoughts on adoption, was an ex church member, wanted to know about making bread (he heard the bread machine going), told me where and all about the church he goes to now (2 1/2 hours away), caught up on how everyone was doing that he knows in our church, and told me where he lived.
Maybe I should have been a counselor or interrogator, since I can get a life story from someone in 15 minutes. Why do people feel the need to automatically start asking about church or church related topics when they enter my home? Do they feel something when they come around that makes them desire to have more of Him? I do not want to be like repairman #2....where my "light" is one of bitterness and pain. I am hoping that they see Him working in me. That my "light" shines and points them toward Him. I want to be a witness of His good works and let His "light" shine into the lives of others.
"You are the light that gives light to the world. A city that is built on a hill cannot be hidden. And people don't hide a light under a bowl. They put it on a lamp stand so the light shines for all the people in the house. In the same way, you should be a light for other people. Live so that they will see good things you do and will praise you Father in heaven." Matthew 5:14-16 (New Century Version)
As a mom, there are days I am so busy that I do not realize how my "light" looks to others. Sometimes it takes three repairmen and a random Friday to remind me.
