"Be kind. Be you. Love Jesus."

A week ago on a Friday morning in my quiet time I asked God that my life be evident of Him.  That others would know that I was a Christ follower by my actions not life less words.  I’ve been working at loving others not just when its easy, but when its down right hard. 

 

As December began to close and January of 2016 approached, I continued to see the word “generous” over and over.  It would be in my daily bible reading, in our Sunday school lesson, in the Sunday sermon and in the songs I would be listening to and so I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt, that “generous” was MY word for 2016. 

 

I then began to be blessed as I placed an index card in my journal to record the times I came across the word “generous”.  It is amazing to me when God speaks so clearly to the soul of my heart.  You see, generous doesn’t come naturally or easily for me.  It is something that I have to be mindful of and the choices that I make.

 

A week ago, being generous happened so quickly and so out of character that I had to take some time.  I had to mull through what God has been doing in me and be able to articulate this all to pen and paper.  To give God glory and to be thankful for the opportunity that He gave me on a Friday morning, September 16^th. 

 

I left for a run out in Colorado and made plans for breakfast back at our place when I was finished.  But if I’ve learned anything from being married to my guy and walking with Jesus is that my plans are never to be written in concrete.  When Bill and I met back up he mentioned that he had seen our neighbors headed down the mountain and would I like to go out for breakfast because we might be able to visit with them and catch up. 

 

When we arrived at The Bakery, there wasn’t any sign of Nancy and Ginny.  We enjoyed a wonderful breakfast just the two of us and then stopped in for a good cup of coffee before returning to our little hideaway at a little quaint coffee shop we frequent.  Before I even got to place my order, I had a fun surprise in that my friend Cynamin was also grabbing a treat. After embracing and chatting I noticed a lady just a little older than me sitting on one of the sofas writing away on her laptop.  I walked up to her and made mention of how beautiful the morning was for her to be having a bike ride as I had just finished my run.  I asked where she was riding to, and I found out that she was biking solo across the U.S. trying to be the oldest lady doing so for the Guiness Book of World Records.  I asked what route she was taking and she shared she would soon be riding Hwy 160.  What????  Really??? Through Kansas???  Ulysses, Kansas?  I live in Ulysses, Kansas, do you need a place to stay?  And just like that she and I made plans for her to come to our home and spend the night.

 

This story doesn’t stop there, for one person to spend the night with us quickly moved to two.  Then a second later she remembered that she had an acquaintance from a previous bike ride in 2015 that was going to ride a portion of Kansas with her and she was meeting up with her on Saturday evening in Springfield, Colorado.  Well, there wasn’t anyway to get out of that, so ok, we have two extra beds and the ladies would bunk together in our home. 

 

I will tell you this all happened in less than 3 minutes, and I didn’t even ask Bill, my mouth simply opened and out it came.  Saturday on our drive back to Kansas, we saw Lynn and her brother as he was her Sag for a few days in Kim, Colorado.  We stopped to make sure they were doing ok and then confirmed that they were still on schedule to stay with us the following evening.

 

Sunday late afternoon the doorbell rang and there was Lynn, and the two others hot, wind blown and right on time.  As they cooled off and refreshed themselves I found out that Lynn is also a vegetarian which made preparing dinner for 5 easy for Bill and I.  Grilled burgers and home made veggie burgers hit the spot with all the sides and to not be in a hurry to get someplace satisfied all of us.  But it gets even crazier as I soon found out that we had ONE more moving in for the night and she wouldn’t be here until around 9:15. If you know me any at all, 9:15 is about an hour past my bed time and taking 4 complete strangers into my home is out of my comfort zone.    At 10:15 the third person has yet to arrive and I bow out and head for my bed as we all have a super early day on Monday. 

 

The cool thing is that I felt and still feel a sweet connection with Lynn.   I love her heart and I love her zest for life and that she likes to be out of the lime light.  She simply “does” without really trying to be seen.   This has become my motto for some time now, doing things that others have no idea about, or doing without being recognized.  I also have come to really like the other lady that came to ride a good portion of Kansas with her, a really neat lady for sure! 

 

Thursday morning found Bill and I in Wichita which happened to be Lynn’s day off of cyling and she was also in Wichita with the other two women that had spent the night in our home so we made a date for a late breakfast and to catch up one more time.  It was a blast!

Lynn (sleeveless pink top), Sandra (her sister-in-law in the SAG role), Brenda (lives in Wichita and rode with Lynn from Springfield, Colorado to El Dorado), Bill and myself.

 

So my mind is still articulating but what I have come to realize so far is that by being quick to help someone, by being generous with what I’ve been blessed with, by rolling with the flow and not getting bent out of shape, by being out of my comfort zone, I was able to be a blessing and I was blessed in the midst of all of this!  I have two sweet new friends that I truly do hope to meet again in this life time. 

 

+Lord, may they have left our home encouraged and refreshed.

+Lord, may they realize that You are good and You are real.

+Lord, may I continue to be generous, kind and loving.

+Lord, maybe the world isn’t such a bad place after all & that Kansas is a beautiful place!

+Lord, may Lynn make it safely back to her home in Virginia.

+Lord, thank You for divine appointments and unique situations.

 

“You know your way around the faith.  Now do what you’ve been taught.  School’s out; quit studying the subject and start living it! And let your living spill over into thanksgiving.” Colossians 2:7 Msg


Be kind, be you, love Jesus!
Yolanda