Today, my wife and I stopped for lunch at a local Mexican restaurant. We were escorted to a table near the back and seated in a busy spot, next to the kitchen entryway. As we settled into our seats and began to empty the basket of tortilla chips that was placed in front of us, I looked to my left and observed a young couple enjoying one another’s company as if they were the only ones in the place. His cowboy boots were shined, his button down shirt was clean and tucked in neatly. Across from him his wife wore a nice skirt and a sweater. Her hair was in a neat ponytail. Next to the young lady, a chair had been removed and an obviously used stroller, though clean, held a beautiful little baby. My guess would be that she was less than two weeks old. And boy was she dressed to kill. I don’t believe that it would have been possible to get any more pink on her unless it was applied as a form of makeup to her little face.
From all outward appearances, they were not wealthy. While being dressed nicely, it was obvious that they wore their best for this occasion and this was a treat that was not a part of their normal weekly routine. I would go as far as to say that it may have been a combination of celebrating the arrival of the baby, and also a deliberate attempt to keep the romance alive by having a date together.
I was moved. I admit that I am a sucker for babies. Especially when they are not mine and I can squeeze them and kiss them and then hand them back to their parents, but this was different. I admired the baby while we ate, but I also admired the couple and their commitment to each other. They were a different ethnicity than me, they spoke a different language than me, their taste for food was definitely different than mine, but my mind went back to when we were young and how difficult it was to have babies with us while we tried to celebrate or have special times together. Memories of the anniversary meals that we had with two little girls sitting next to us because the military had called us to locations where we didn’t know enough people to use a sitter. As I remembered what it was like I could not help but to call the waitress over to our table and asked her to give me the young couples bill. She looked at me and asked, “their bill?” I confirmed and she went to the register smiling from ear to ear saying something to the other employees in Spanish. (I assume that it was something nice.)
I watched quietly after the couple finished their meal, and as the young man went to the register to pay. When he was told his bill was taken care of, he looked rapidly around the restaurant to see if there was someone that he knew who would have done that for them. Trust me, as one of the few Anglos present I was probably the least one expected to have done such a thing. My heart was bursting with happiness and for the ability to bless someone in such a way. I think I even enjoyed my tacos more than what I normally would have because of the thrill of showing kindness, a kindness that came not just from my heart but from my wallet as well… to complete strangers.
I was reminded that God blesses us, so that we can bless others. He doesn’t bless us so that we can be hoarders of His goodness and blessings. We are called to be like Him and I see time and time again that Jesus touched lives by healing the sick, by feeding the hungry, by giving worth and value to the broken, and most importantly by giving of Himself for the forgiveness of our sins. He did not care about ethnicity or about the cost, He just gave and then gave some more, culminating with the greatest gift that could ever be given. Through a horrendous death on a cross, He gave of Himself so that we might have what He was giving up, life. That is generosity, that is love.
Can I challenge you with something this week? Do something radical, bless someone this week as a way of showing the world that the generous ways of Jesus are not obsolete. To show the world that followers of Jesus are also imitators of Jesus in that we give and love because He set such a beautiful example for us to pattern our lives after. Bless someone in a radical way!
I have a feeling that you will be the one most blessed. Much more blessed than if you were to hoard the good things that He has given you, and more blessed than if you were to just keep everything to yourself. Be a giver and not a hoarder.
I would love to hear your stories of how God uses you this week.
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