Not long ago I was faced with a difficult decision regarding a regular patient at my pharmacy. Mrs. Smith expressed a need and out of love I decided that I would grant her, provide the funding that she needed to take a trip out of state, to pick up her grandchildren, bring them back home and raise them as her own.
She promised to pay me back and I decided to honor that decision and commitment for her to do so, however, as time went by, and the promised date continued to change moving forward into the future, our relationship began to deteriorate rather rapidly. As you can imagine, this is certainly not my desire that that would be the case. She knowingly didn’t have the money and therefore would not come into the pharmacy to pick up her needed medications. Bit of a problem, bit of a problem. I contemplated what to do and as my manner is, I went to the Father on numerous occasions to make requests. “What should I do in this situation?” I even asked the advice of some other mature Christians to ask their thoughts on the matter.
But I still did not have my answer of peace. I thought, I could just forgive her the debt, since I didn’t need the money back anyway, but I wanted to honor her commitment and decision to pay me back. So, I still didn’t have my answer of peace. As time went by and her most recent self-appointed promised date was fast approaching, I still did not have that answer of peace. Then, just a day away, the Father provided the answer that I sought.
The next day, I went to work and was about two hours into my day and I was notified that Mrs. Smith was at the counter and wanted to speak with me. So, as my manner is, with a smile on my face, I walked over to the counter and said, “How are you today Mrs. Smith?” And she said, with regret, “Here’s your money.” And she handed me the money and kind of looked down and said, “That’s only about half.” And as I started to count it, she said, “I can get you the rest of the money at the beginning of next month.” I responded to her and I said, “You know I really appreciate your commitment to pay me back, however, I appreciate our relationship more so and desire that matters of money do not destroy it.” So, then I handed the money back into her hand and said, “So how about you keep this and we call it even?” With utter shock on her face, she looked up at me and said, “Are you sure?” She asked it a couple of times and I said, emphatically and with an even bigger smile on my face this time, “Absolutely!”
Since I had the burden lifted from my heart as to what to do, now I could carry it out. As I gave her the money back, she looked down at her hand and then she looked up with teary eye and said, “Where do you go to church?” This woman immediately recognized that the love and good works that were just manifested was from God. It was pretty obvious.
When we commit our lives to love and good works, to works inspired and energized by God, it will be noticeable. Much like the moon reflects the light and the glory of the sun, so too will our lives reflect the light and the glory of the Lord.
I encourage you all, as children of light and of the day as it says in I Thessalonians 5:5, to walk in the light. Matthew 5:16 says, “Let your light so shine before men, that they man see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” As the incident that I shared but a moment a go exemplifies, our reflection of the light and the glory of the Lord will most certainly draw attention. God can and will provide open doors for us to minister, to love and to teach others. As it says in Mark 13:35, “Watch ye therefore, for ye know not when the master of the house cometh.” Let us not put off until tomorrow the love and good works that God inspires in us now. Let us love bigger than we ever have before and stay committed to God and allow Him to open the play book of good works, if you will, in our lives, today. Let us keep our eyes fixed on the Lord to do His will today for tomorrow may be just too late. God bless you guys.
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