Those Annoying Crowds
Give me a seat in this kingdom home. Right hand or left, doesn’t matter. Then let me put my feet up and recline for a while…
We live in a tiny town in the thumb of Michigan. We don’t even have a traffic light. It’s been a dream raising our children here and ministering at our church. It’s a quiet town… most of the time.
And then there are weekends like this. Our quiet town turns into a tourist destination. Cars are loud, people are loud, late night, live music is loud. Very loud. There is no sitting in your backyard on sweet summer evenings, listening to the birds sing as the sun sets and the wind whistles through the trees.
And it’s hard and sometimes sad. And annoying, and frustrating.
Because I want peace.
And quiet.
My heart was pricked about that this morning as I looked out my upstairs window at the bumper to bumper traffic on Main Street. I had become that person I described above. I wanted to peacefully prop my feet up and idly enjoy the thoughts of my future home in heaven, and I wanted to do it without all the noise. And people. I realized I didn’t have the heart of Jesus about any of this.
Jesus has so much compassion on ME! He loves me beyond comprehension. He sacrificed His life for me. He forgave my sins. He gave me new life. I have messed up over and over and over again, and yet He welcomes me back with open arms. What a gift He has given me. A gift I don’t deserve, and one I shouldn’t squander. And as I thought about the multitudes of people outside my front door, in my normally quiet little town, I realized I wasn’t moved with compassion.
Like Jesus.
I just wanted comfort in the tiny little kingdom home of my own making. Jesus didn’t come to be served, but to serve, and to give His very life. He didn’t come to judge the world, but to save the world. He didn’t come to condemn, he came to bring life.
I am convicted that I wanted the benefits of that life on my terms. I didn’t see the multitudes like Jesus did. I have openly complained about my situation, with words that may have come across as hateful. There was no compassion. There definitely wasn’t any love. I mentally made allowances because this was a separate category. This was an annoyance.
I am convicted when I realize that not everyone is like me. Some people enjoy the crowds and noise. I am convicted when I realize that the crowds need Jesus. I am convicted when I realize that for some people, the quiet months can be depressing. They need the crowds. They need the noise.
This life isn’t all about me.
It’s all about Him.
And so, my prayer is that I will have the eyes and heart of Jesus. I will have love. I will have understanding. I will strive to share that love and life with everyone I come in contact with. And perhaps this will encourage you to do the same.
We can all get so easily annoyed. Humans will always annoy us, because we are human.
Sometimes it doesn’t take much for the condemning and complaining to start. Instead, let’s ask the Holy Spirit to help us be more like Jesus, realizing all the grace, mercy, forgiveness and love He has shown us.
And seeing the multitudes,
SHE was moved with compassion.
SCRIPTURE READING:
John 12:47, John 10:10,
Matthew 20:21, 27-28,
Matthew 9:36-38, Matthew 14:14, Mark 8:1-2,
Psalm 78:38-39, Luke 15:20, 1 John 2:6, Titus 3:2-7
1 Peter 2:9-10, 12, 16, 21-24, Philippians 2:5, Luke 6:46