Missed Opportunity
April 18
Conviction set in this morning as I reflected on a missed opportunity to pray for someone yesterday. A young man with some obvious handicaps was sitting at the entrance to a Belk department store, manning a table for charitable giving. He was quite overweight and sat with his legs sprawled apart on either side of a card table. On the mannequin platform beside him he placed his Dr. Pepper, a bagged lunch, a large hooded sweatshirt and a hand written sign "On lunch break." As I shopped I could hear him moan, saying out loud to know one..."I have to sit here until 4:00...thank goodness Friday is my last day." It was rather distracting.
The atmosphere turned rather humorous when I wanted to try on a pair of pants and my size was on the mannequin right beside this fellow. I am talking RIGHT beside him. First off, the sales lady was perturbed he had placed his belongings...we are talking scrunched up brown paper bag with lunch leftovers inside and a 3/4 of the way completed plastic Dr Pepper bottle and personal jacket...right on the display. When she goes to drop the pants off the mannequin and she can't get them off... he is talking to her the whole time. She explains to me she is going to need to get someone in charge of displays to help her. Telling her I'd be back in 15 minutes, I walked off leaving this young man sitting beside a half naked mannequin. I can only imagine what went on while I was gone as he stopped each person coming in and out of the store asking them to buy a ticket to a charity event. I should have taken a picture.
No, what I should have done is bought a ticket from this young man, told him how much Jesus loves him and offered to pray for his endeavor. I missed a great opportunity to be like Jesus.
Therefore, I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions and giving of thanks be made for all men. 1 Timothy 2:1
There is a mother/father/sibling somewhere (maybe even working in that store) who is so thrilled that their child/sibling has a job.
Conviction set in this morning as I reflected on a missed opportunity to pray for someone yesterday. A young man with some obvious handicaps was sitting at the entrance to a Belk department store, manning a table for charitable giving. He was quite overweight and sat with his legs sprawled apart on either side of a card table. On the mannequin platform beside him he placed his Dr. Pepper, a bagged lunch, a large hooded sweatshirt and a hand written sign "On lunch break." As I shopped I could hear him moan, saying out loud to know one..."I have to sit here until 4:00...thank goodness Friday is my last day." It was rather distracting.
The atmosphere turned rather humorous when I wanted to try on a pair of pants and my size was on the mannequin right beside this fellow. I am talking RIGHT beside him. First off, the sales lady was perturbed he had placed his belongings...we are talking scrunched up brown paper bag with lunch leftovers inside and a 3/4 of the way completed plastic Dr Pepper bottle and personal jacket...right on the display. When she goes to drop the pants off the mannequin and she can't get them off... he is talking to her the whole time. She explains to me she is going to need to get someone in charge of displays to help her. Telling her I'd be back in 15 minutes, I walked off leaving this young man sitting beside a half naked mannequin. I can only imagine what went on while I was gone as he stopped each person coming in and out of the store asking them to buy a ticket to a charity event. I should have taken a picture.
No, what I should have done is bought a ticket from this young man, told him how much Jesus loves him and offered to pray for his endeavor. I missed a great opportunity to be like Jesus.
Therefore, I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions and giving of thanks be made for all men. 1 Timothy 2:1
There is a mother/father/sibling somewhere (maybe even working in that store) who is so thrilled that their child/sibling has a job.
