Recently I was meeting a friend at a restaurant. I happened to arrive a little early and set my eye on the perfect table. It needed to be cleaned, so I walked over to a man who was bussing a booth close by.
"Excuse me Sir, when you are finished would you mind cleaning off this table?"
He ignored me.
Clearing my throat and elevating my voice a little, I repeated myself.
"Excuse me Sir, when you are finished would you mind cleaning off this table?"
He finally made eye contact with me but his facial expressions quickly communicated his dissatisfaction with me and my request.
While rolling his eyes, he mumbled under his breath, "I guess!" Sigh. Then proceeded towards my table.
Within seconds, I could feel offense begin to rise up inside of me and it quickly begins to scream in my ear:
"Who does he think he is? I should tell his manager, if he is so unhappy at this job! He's not going to treat me like that! What's wrong with him?"
Yet, simultaneously as offense is screaming in one ear, I hear the Holy Spirit whispering in the other ear:
"Holly, don't lose sight of his value because of how he is acting. He doesn't know his own value which is why he acts like this! He is my son and deeply valued!"
While deciding which voice to listen to, I chose to remain quiet and the guy walked away after he finished cleaning the table.
I watched him walk back and forth continuing his job with little satisfaction and frustration.
All the while, hearing Holy Spirit whisper to me, "Go and speak life and destiny into him who lacks it!" While offense continued to wrestle me for my attention.
Finally surrendering to Love, I walked over to this man and handed him a $20.00 bill. He paused and looked at me with confusion.
I said to him, "I have been watching you over the past hour and I have seen a man who takes great pride in his work. I see a man who deeply cares for other people and loves to serve. I want you to know that even when you think no one cares, they do! I want to bless you and encourage you to continue doing these things!"
For the first time that day, his eyes genuinely met mine and with a clearer understanding of his own value, he tightly squeezed my hand and said, "Thank you!" ... And he walked away with joy in his eyes!
Maybe because now he saw himself differently through my eyes... Or should I say, Christ's eyes!
Has someone recently offended you? Have you lost sight of their value, while seeing through the filter of offense?
May I encourage you to change your perspective?
Proverbs 19:11
The discretion of a man makes him slow to anger. It is his glory to overlook an offense.
Proverbs 17:9
He who covers an offense promotes love.
Proverbs 10:12
Offense/hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all wrongs.
"Excuse me Sir, when you are finished would you mind cleaning off this table?"
He ignored me.
Clearing my throat and elevating my voice a little, I repeated myself.
"Excuse me Sir, when you are finished would you mind cleaning off this table?"
He finally made eye contact with me but his facial expressions quickly communicated his dissatisfaction with me and my request.
While rolling his eyes, he mumbled under his breath, "I guess!" Sigh. Then proceeded towards my table.
Within seconds, I could feel offense begin to rise up inside of me and it quickly begins to scream in my ear:
"Who does he think he is? I should tell his manager, if he is so unhappy at this job! He's not going to treat me like that! What's wrong with him?"
Yet, simultaneously as offense is screaming in one ear, I hear the Holy Spirit whispering in the other ear:
"Holly, don't lose sight of his value because of how he is acting. He doesn't know his own value which is why he acts like this! He is my son and deeply valued!"
While deciding which voice to listen to, I chose to remain quiet and the guy walked away after he finished cleaning the table.
I watched him walk back and forth continuing his job with little satisfaction and frustration.
All the while, hearing Holy Spirit whisper to me, "Go and speak life and destiny into him who lacks it!" While offense continued to wrestle me for my attention.
Finally surrendering to Love, I walked over to this man and handed him a $20.00 bill. He paused and looked at me with confusion.
I said to him, "I have been watching you over the past hour and I have seen a man who takes great pride in his work. I see a man who deeply cares for other people and loves to serve. I want you to know that even when you think no one cares, they do! I want to bless you and encourage you to continue doing these things!"
For the first time that day, his eyes genuinely met mine and with a clearer understanding of his own value, he tightly squeezed my hand and said, "Thank you!" ... And he walked away with joy in his eyes!
Maybe because now he saw himself differently through my eyes... Or should I say, Christ's eyes!
Has someone recently offended you? Have you lost sight of their value, while seeing through the filter of offense?
May I encourage you to change your perspective?
Proverbs 19:11
The discretion of a man makes him slow to anger. It is his glory to overlook an offense.
Proverbs 17:9
He who covers an offense promotes love.
Proverbs 10:12
Offense/hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all wrongs.
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