An author once reminded me that “it is the unseen decision, taken when nobody is watching, that tells the true story of one’s soul”. I have seen this play out with fun variation over the years. From the man in a ratty t-shirt and flip-flops walking into a bank and asking for the best CD rate for a large deposit (did not end well) to the deference paid to those who were lucky, there is a repeating pattern which follows each set-up.
Imagine a sitting; it could be a church, a restaurant, or one’s home. “If a man enters your church wearing an expensive suit, and a street person wearing rags comes in right after him,” (James 2.2) what comes next?
Yesterday I ordered a bag of my favorite coffee beans. With a kilo bag, the roaster delivers it for free. When the delivery guy arrived, it was easy to tell he had come on a motorcycle. Initially, his card reader was not getting a signal. As I invited him into the apartment, his look of surprise caught me off guard. We stood near the window together, chatted and waited for the machine to connect. Receipt in hand, I wished him well and thanked him for his kind service. His thankfulness told me the experience was not his usual.
It was a values reminder I often forget when I am wrestling with the stress of the day. One moment, one encounter, and one opportunity to make a difference wrapped in the set-up.
As I consider today, I am reminded of the following.
I am not always at my best. As I think of the shut opportunity doors in my past, I realize the trigger is linked to where I am. If I am present in the moment, there is a chance I will act. When I am not, failure often follows.
When I am wearing a mask, I often measure others by the mask I have wrapped myself up with.
When I strip everything back, I find myself standing in Divinity’s broad, accepting, and inclusive family.
