Recently I’ve had to ask the Lord for forgiveness in my impatience with people in my life. I’ve been very rude in my reaction to others going through life struggles because I so unmercifully have felt they should ‘know better’ or ‘be stronger than this’…forgetting that it is and will forever be by grace that I have not only overcome some of my own life struggles that were similar but also that with each new season of our lives we have our own struggles, and though they may not look like someone else’s, we require mercy of our own to grow and learn through.

I also forget that perhaps the Lord has me agitated because He wants me to care- as His so loving heart does. Afterall- isn’t that a key part of being a Christian and why we exist (love others; as iron so sharpens iron?)

In the Word of God, Joseph was wrongfully accused of sleeping with Potiphars wife and thrown into prison. I don’t like being wrongfully accused in simplistic day to day gossip let alone CONVICTED for a crime I did not commit- I just could not imagine. In a time and place in his life where Joseph could have been justifiably self centered from being wrongly accused and unnecessarily placed in horrible circumstances with society’s most notorious criminals after living a far more lavish life in a celebrated career, Joseph instead does something very simple that is striking to me- he cares enough to care.

While in prison he notices the baker and cupbearer upset and he asks, “Why do you look so worried today?” Genesis 40:7

If you know the story you know that he eventually interpreted their dreams which elevated him not only out of prison but to second in command as Pharaoah’s confidant and his actions saved an entire nation (to include his own family) from possible starvation- WHOA! And for me, I see it is all from doing one simple thing that the Lord requires of us, “Love thy neighbor as yourself” (Lev 19:18, Mark 12:31). He cared enough to CARE and knew in this life and temporary state of being, its not all about him, his comforts, his goals, his condition etc..

In the mundane tasks of life I know I forget this. These past few weeks especially, busy with trying to get through counseling sessions with each of my students I noticed one of them was very timid, emotionless, quiet and soft spoken. I was tempted to close my couseling quickly making mental note that this young man may not be what we consider ‘Officer material’ just based on overwhelming timidity alone but an unction in my spirit told me not to. So I continued to ask a few clarifying questions about his background which revealed that this young man’s mom left him and his brother abandoned his Junior year of high school! His brother went into foster care while he has bounced from house to house just to graduate- which he did with a 3.9 GPA!!! He’s not only enrolled at PLU but he’s paying for the crazy cost of tuition here mostly through scholarships. I LOVED talking with this young man and came away feeling hopeful and inspired by him! In retrospect, HE counseled ME! It both blessed and humbled me to be able to encourage him to try his hardest to succeed and let him know that he is writing his own success story- he is the author of this exciting chapter and I told him I pray that I am there to celebrate with him one day when he accomplishes his goals and sets out into the next phase of life! I forget sometimes that who I am first, is a believer, and that this job and profession (as PH so eloquently put it) is more like my undercover assignment 😀 We are in the business of saving souls for eternity through our life witness and reflection of who HE is.

I know we will not be nearly as blessed in this temporary lifetime if we think any of it is just about us. Sometimes being what Christ calls us to be is as simple as daring to care. Daring to ask the question, “How are you today?” with genuine concern and love. That simplistic act alone will open up opportunity to share about the lifesaving power of Jesus! My prayer is that every member of our ministry exumes the Father heart of God in this way and that we all grow more patient with what may come of daring to do so- but in the end, we will see our God more clearly, fall deeper in love with how He loves and is teaching us to do the same by caring enough to CARE.

With love,
Ange

“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart”
Jeremiah 29:13