$9 People

It's 4:43 am. I woke up to worry and anxiety over the sad truth that I am only five days after getting paid and have $9 to my name until payday. The nagging worry of, “how will I do this for the next 10 days on $9?” found me striving in my prayer. To distract from the worry, attempting to convince myself of the submission to the worry I started praying about church, life, a job, and my new housing arrangements. As I was laying life at the feet of Jesus, it dawned on me and I had to laugh at myself.

I realized I'm more worried about my $9 than I am about the guy who sits next to me at work who doesn't believe in Jesus. It got me to thinking, what are you worrying about? How distracted are you by your circumstances? How crafty life is that it can get us distracted to obsess about things that aren't going to follow us. If I choose to chase the dollar instead of people how much will really follow me to Heaven?

The revelation of Jesus will show you more and more how much you love people. You can't love Jesus purely and not have a heart for people. I used to not feel this way. I would get annoyed when this truth was preached from the pulpit, but then as I got to know Jesus, really know him in a way I never knew he could be is when I realized I was all about people. When Jesus walked around he saw people, the lowest of the low, the ones that no one wanted to talk to.

Women who are trafficked in the sex slave trade is a large burden in my heart. Through a story about a political prisoner in Nicaragua two years ago, my heart came to the truth that I abhor injustice and was convicted to be a better fighter of it. The other night at a movie with a friend, which got out pretty late, we were walking to the car and an Asian woman with very poor English approached us by shoving a laminated card in our faces indicating she was raising money for something. I brushed her off and kept moving; it was after two in the morning! After I had gotten a good distance from her, I stood back and looked at the women in the parking lot that were trying to raise money. Then the statistics of trafficked people who are also trafficked for servant/labor work flooded in and I noticed a van with a man to the side waiting on the woman.

It was late and time to go home, my friend insisted that I get in the car and go, so I did, but I couldn't shake that woman. The next day the conviction of the evening was gnawing away at my heart and my stomach.

For all my declarations and pronouncements of loving people, seeing them, I failed the woman who approached me. Now, I couldn't even tell you what her face looked like. I didn't even look. I just shoved her past and kept moving. The next day I called the police and made them aware that I was concerned about trafficking, but was still torn up about the girl who approached me. In telling a friend about the conviction, she tried to comfort me by saying I probably did all that I could given the circumstances and she's probably right.

But the part that kills me – I could have seen her. If for only a moment to look at the woman's face and remember it. I could have seen her. If she is being victimized, who is praying for her? Who is fighting against the injustice she is being served? Who is believing for her release and her freedom? Did her parents sell her into this? Was she taken?

By not seeing her did I add to her victimization? Did I add to her misery? Am I a part of the problem?

I can say I love people all I want, but if I don't see them how am I really doing anything but making empty declarations that carry no real power or resolve? It changes nothing.

Everything fades when you start getting to the business of people. My $9 is more than that woman in the parking lot had. My house is comfortable, and I have a super cute convertible car that I LOVE! I am blessed and can't let my $9 dictate lack, but instead I choose to let it dictate abundance.

I have this note in my bible at 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 that says, "Insert name for love," it's powerful when you do it... Ginny does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Ginny never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

I can never give up in my pursuit of loving people; Jesus didn’t give up in seeing me from the cross. I will never lose faith that God loves people more than I do and is making me a better see-er of people. My $9 motivates me to go back to work where I do have the opportunity to sit next to a guy who doesn't believe in Jesus.

Print that section of the scripture out, change all the Loves and pronouns to your name, post it at your desk, in your car, tattoo it on your arm if you have too, but see people. When we see people the way Jesus does, we are literally bringing Christ's love to the masses and the guy I sit next to will realize it one day.

They Will Know Us by Our Fruit

I'm off today. I am standing in the post office waiting for a teller to assist me in my lost parcel pursuit. I've come to a post office I am not used to coming too. It's not the closest one to my house, but it's near where my mom works and I want to pop over to see about getting something printed. I am in a line of about 9 people with two tellers working, thinking to myself that I am going to be here an hour and I'd like to Twitter gnay: I hate government agencies. In my head I am thinking DMV, USPS, Financial Aide offices, etc. I decide that with out that info a Twitter of I hate government agencies may be too radical for this day and age and one day I may have to account for that statement, so I'll go against the urge to Twitter.

I look behind the counter and there is a man standing in the second help carol on the right at the room length counter. He is smiling. His eyes are crinkled at the edges and his hair is slightly greyed, he's wearing glasses. but he's sparkling. His entire countenance is radiating around him. His face is awesome. His smile is so genuine and I hear "They shall know us by our fruit..."

I really do dislike going to cattle herded rope-lined agencies and having to wait in line. The Post Office by my house is always so stressful. It's stressful in line and it feels long. Here I have moved to the front of the line in less than five minutes and people keep coming. When I think about the attitudes of the agents at the post office by my house they are very edgy and polite, yet curt. They move the line but not like this one. This post office feels peaceful. The patrons in line are more relaxed and more calm. It's here I notice that this man is affecting the atmosphere around him. I am next in line and I hope he waits on me because I bet he is a Christian.

There are two people at the counter in front of me and they are finishing up with in seconds of each other. I hope that he finishes first....

"Next!" He says.

I request his help on my missing package, he is going to go do some research. I stop him quickly and explain that I am a writer.

"I noticed something about you. Are you a," how do I ask this? "believer, sir?" I finish in a hushed tone for privacy from the man standing to my left filling out a card.

"All day long ma'am." His head is dipped low and to the side against a shoulder, timidly glancing at me from the left.

"I knew it. I am writing my next piece about you. Thank you." I think I've scared him. He nods at me and excuses himself to go find my package.

I immediately pull a piece of paper out of the pad I have been scribbling this event on in line and draft a quick note:

You've inspired a Christian writer who was spending all day thinking about what my next piece was going to be. It's going to be called: They Will Know Us by Our Fruit. http://www.ginpaynter.blogspot.com/ love it if you check it out. Thank you. You've blessed many more today that you know.

There, that will do. I hope it doesn't scare him when he comes back...if he ever comes back. There are another 9 people in line behind me waiting again. He brings blessing to this place.

He returns with my answer about my package, which appears to still be an anomaly, and I slide him the note. He's reading it.

"Thank you, I will check it out. Thank you it means a lot."

"No, no. Thank you."

I move about my business and I walk away knowing that I have just seen the gospel preached with out a single word. It has me thinking, I wonder if people feel differently when they leave being with me? Do I change the atmosphere when I am somewhere? And if I do, what am I changing it to? I knew him by his fruit. He didn't use a word, he didn't tell me a story, he simply stood behind a counter and smiled. He was sowing joy, he was bringing peace.

By what fruit are you known? Are you sowing joy? Are you bringing peace? What story are you telling and how are you telling it?

I am challenged by Bill the postman. How much more must I let the grace of God reign over my life. I don't need to stress and struggle. I don't have to stress out about what I am going to write about. God's grace is sufficient. It validates. It is the substance that allows me to fall more in love with Jesus, and to see people more. The revelation of His grace is powerful enough to change a post office.

I pray that Bill does read this. I pray that he is encouraged. Kevin Brett preached last night that when you encourage someone you are actually placing courage with in them. I hope it does deposit courage within him. I pray that it builds him up and spurs him to come with even more purpose in the post office. We are all part of the body and it has many different parts. There is power in the everyday. What is your everyday looking like?

Power in the everyday...that's a whole different writing.