"Unto Me"

This morning God brought a memory to mind and really convicted me. I thought it was a noteworthy story that I wanted to journal.

In Cambodia my team had a little sunday tradition - after attending the International Church's evening service we would head across town to our favorite Indian restraunt. There is nothing like a hot plate of rice & curry among dear friends! Afterwards we usually went grocery shopping, seeing as the store was a street over from the restraunt. With our bellies pleasantly full we would pick up our groceries and head home. In front of this particular grocery store there was a number of regular beggars. They would be very persistant with their requests and insisting bantor, pricking the conscience. (It was always a great difficulty to me knowing how to wisely respond to requests for money and food.) It was easy being tired and having a full stomach, to brush them off, rush into the store, and get home.

I remember one such evening I handed my styrofoam left-overs container to an old guy, figuring he would want my cheese nahn and rice more than I.

But this morning, remembering the verses about Jesus saying "I was hungry and you fed ME..." I realized, I gave Jesus my leftovers. Right after singing about His love, standing in a clean, sterile, sanctuary, holding a comforting hymnal in my hands and mouthing the familar words - I filled my belly, and then gave my Lord my leftovers.

I just cried about this for awhile and I feel like Im waking up - Im getting it - being a Christian is simple - if I love God, then I love others... ecs. the marginalized and forgotten. If not, then I simply do not know Him. The true Jesus, the Jesus of Nazareth from the Bible is one who is found in the gutter, among the poor, and if I want Him, I will go to them and hold them close.

If I had the grocery scene to do over again, I would take that old guy into the Indian restraunt with me and buy him whatever dinner he wanted. (Yes I did do this many times, but Im recounting my failures as a illustration that I am learning how to truly love Jesus)