Journey With Me by Lee (Day 2 of 31)

Day 2 – January 2, 2018

As I sat with my Journal open this morning, I recalled Gurlstalk’n’s 2017 Christmas event. The Gurls joined forces with another non-profit organization, formed and organized by a friend of ours, to visit a Women’s Shelter in the south suburbs. Days before our arrival to the Shelter, the Gurls shopped and bought gifts for 12 of the 23 lady residents, and a few other miscellaneous gifts just in case more residents were in attendance than the original count. The other organization bought the remaining gifts for all other residents.

We began the day by serving the residents dinner (Menu: roast beef & potatoes, string beans, tossed & pasta salad, corn muffins & dinner rolls, spaghetti, potato salad, macaroni & cheese, ham, fried chicken, cake, cookies, pop, bottled water, juice for the kids, and candy laced the table tops). After we finished giving them their food, each worker fixed her own plate and sat at the table to dine with the residents.

After dinner, we sang Christmas songs and gave away the gifts bags. I sat and watched each resident open their large gift bags. A few remarked they liked what they received and smiled. Some looked in their bags and said nothing. A handful complained about what they received. I’m not sure what I was expecting…maybe a gleeful laugh or a happy smile, but when I did not see that from everyone, I didn’t like it. Afterwards, I made a comment to the other ladies in my group about it.

A few days later, I asked the Lord about it. In fact, I was complaining about the residents’ ungratefulness, and explaining to Him how we spent our own money and long hours in the stores searching for good gifts to bless them with, and they didn’t seem to appreciate the gifts at all.

He reminded me how He takes special care to give me good gifts, yet I don’t respond in gratitude. Sometimes, He says, I go a whole day without a word of acknowledgement or thanks for what He gives me, for instance: sun rises and sun sets; heat in the winter and cool breezes in the summer; peace and safety as I travel back and forth every day, etc. He says, I even ignore Him when He nudges or speaks to me through out the day.

Then He asked me, “By the way, what are you doing with my BEST gift, Jesus?”

After He asked that question, I was like the Pharisees and Saducees: I had no further questions to ask, but was left speechless. I dropped my head, fell to the floor to kneel, and with my left hand over my mouth and my right hand lifted up high, I was ashamed …

Daily Reflections: How foolish it is for me to see someone else’s faults and not be able to see my own. This cannot continue …

“Don’t …jump on others failures and criticize their faults–unless, of course, you want to be treated the same. A critical spirit/word has a way of boomeranging…. stop playing an holier-than-thou part instead of just living your part….Now, wipe that ugly sneer off your own face, and you might be fit to offer a washcloth to your neighbor.” Paraphrased from Matthew 7:35 (MSG).

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