saturday, i was at sam’s club, buying a battery for my mower. four feet to my left was a man paying for his tires. a lady comes up and stands right between us, and  i fidget a little, wondering if she’s really going to cut in front of me when they ask “who’s next?”. sure enough, she does. so, i calmly (on the outside) wait for her to finish.
as the checkout lady goes for assistance, the cut-in lady asks me “oh, did i jump in front of you?” i think “duh”, but i say “no problem”. she says “are you sure? look me in the eye and tell me” i replied “it’s no problem”. voice-in-my-head even told me to help her carry her battery. i obeyed (slightly reluctantly).
then she said the most interesting things. she said she was in the area for a funeral. i tried to say “i’m sorry”, but she continued with “. . . messin’ up my fishin’ . . . i live over on lake wedowee. . . he was a biker . . .there were a couple hundred bikes going to the burial site . . .” she seemed insulted that they were there with their bikes. (admit it, we all picture the classic “harley rider”; rough clothes, long beard, loud bike…scary to most “normal” people, right?) (except you, rusty) (btw, what IS normal)
i thought “boy, i’m sure that guy is very sorry that he messed up your fishin’ by his untimely dying”. and i thought “but i’m sure that he would have wanted to have his rough-lookin’ biker friends there with their bikes”.
the next morning, Easter morning, just as i was coming out of my front door, i saw the sun coming up over the trees. . . gorgeous! and i thought “how awesome!! he died, but he’s risen!!” then i remembered the lady’s words, and wondered . . . did jesus’ death “mess up my fishin’?” . . .Â
maybe to some, it was an inconvenient day. they had to go to church. missed a round of golf or something.
but, i was sooo glad that, to me, it wasn’t inconvenient at all. . . it’s just a privelege to gather, anytime, and celebrate his life . . . and i hope i’m like one of the “biker friends” . . . not so very sophisticated, successful, or properly dressed for the occasion. i’d much rather be an “outcast” from society, and be in his circle.
no, His death didn’t mess up nothin’.
eh
btw, tonight, rusty is sharing 400+ meals at the shelter. help him out if you can. and we’ll be doing sack lunches this saturday. havagudwon.
Ya know, it’s kinda interesting actually; Jesus messed up Peter, James, John & Andrew’s fishin’ – in fact he rocked their fisherman’s world. “Cast your net on the other side…” “I will make you fishers of men…” “Go get that tax money coin from the fishes mouth…” – I’m saying: “Bring it on Jesus, mess up my fishin’!” You may never know until you are in His presence, the impact that you had on that lady that day. I am certain, that somehow, in God’s sovereignty, your actions (and not reactions) to her that day altered the course of her “fishin,” and through you, Jesus is about to mess up her fishin too!
oooooh, i never thought of that! yeah, please, mess up my “everyday life”, and let me walk with the God-followers!!