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.