Be Noticed
These photos are of a childless widow,whom I met in 1978 and invited her into our family.
She lived to be 104!
I told her our children would be her children. They loved her well.
While picking through some produced, one of the grocery store workers said, "Finding everything you need?" "The red onions," I replied, "they are no longer on the refrigerated shelves." Then I said, "You and Fred are without a doubt the friendliest, most cheerful and helpful employees here at Kroger." Looking at his name tag, I said, "Doug, my name is Boo."
Bless his heart, he fumbled and said, "Doug, you don't know about Fred do you? Fred, didn't show up for work one day last month and he's never done that. We called his mother in law and she sent someone to the house who found him dead in his bed."
Shocked and saddened, I looked at Doug and told him that ever since Fred's wife died last year we had talked a lot about Jesus. I told Doug I knew Fred was in heaven. Doug's response was that seeing Fred go quickly like that made him want to be a nicer person. I know...I need to have a follow up with Doug, but at that moment I was truly grieving the loss of this sweet man.
What has grieved me most in the hours which have passed is that most people who shop there don't even know that Fred, the produce man, is missing.
This weekend we are hosting a Young Life staff retreat. All of these young people work full-time jobs, 90% are teachers, and then they volunteer for this ministry. They are making a huge difference in the lives of many kids, who might otherwise go unnoticed.
Proverbs 7:6-7 and the adulterous woman story came to mind..."At the window of my house I looked down through the lattice. I saw among the simple, I noticed among the young men, a youth who had no sense. He was going down the street near her corner, walking along in the direction of her house at twilight, as the day was fading, as the dark of night set in...."
Let's ask the Lord this weekend to show us someone who needs to be noticed and invite them into our lives in some way.
