Strength In Disguise (08/31/2024)

Yesterday, we needed a service call at our home for repair. I was surprised when I answered the doorbell and found a service man using a cane. I asked him about the cane, and he explained his condition to me. He diagnosed what was wrong, set the repair up, then left. A few hours later, he returned with a second man and together, with the first guiding the second, our repairs were made. I will use their company again; they demonstrated their character and their vision.

The company demonstrated its character to me by retaining the individual who was struggling physically. The management recognized the man’s gifts and utilized them extraordinarily well. The company demonstrated their vision by assigning the one man to diagnose the problem using his exceptional skills and then to use this man’s wisdom to train another and at the same time deliver service.

As I reflected on the service call at the end of my day, I thought of all the individuals in our world who have been “tossed to the curb” because they didn’t “measure up” to someone’s superficial standards. I admired the company we chose to do our service call for treating others as they themselves would wish to be treated, with respect and loving kindness. I wish this company could do a country wide tour and train other companies on the grace of compassion and the blessing that flow from its generous application.

Our world suffers often from missing truth because it doesn’t look like what we imagine it should. We would do well to pray daily to the LORD for the gift of understanding from the Spirit as well as all the fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and gentleness.

I think of the strongest people I’ve known in my life and realize that none of them could have passed for “strong” physically applying the standards we do in our world today. And yet these individuals carried burdens that most of us would buckle beneath.  I think of all they have accomplished because of their faith, because of their hope, but most especially because of their love.

As we journey in faith, hope and love, let us not be fooled by the superficial standards of the day, but rather, let us remember what our LORD has taught us – we are all precious in the LORD’s eye – we are all called to love. And one of the strongest signs of love is calling upon another to use their lives and gifts fully. It is one of the many ways we give glory to our LORD.

As I think about the lesson underscored yesterday for me by the LORD’s providence and the cooperation with the LORD’s grace by others, I realize that I am to use all that’s been given to me by the LORD daily, not to waste a bit of it. I’ve also realized that not everyone will see me and my potential in the moment because the packaging isn’t what they expect. But another’s judgment should ne

ver stop us from doing what we are called to do or being who we are created to be.

Until tomorrow, let us all love well.