Ash Wednesday was upon us and my daughter Blair and I were talking and she said to me, "Hmmm... what should I give up for Lent this year?" Last year she gave up fast food -- for a college student that is monumental. I said, “Instead of giving something up everyday, why don’t you try and do something everyday ?" She asked, "Like what?" I said, "Instead of denying yourself something every day, why don’t you give someone else something?" “Like what?", she reiterated. "Whatever comes to your heart. Whatever God puts in your path. It could be as simple as someone needing a smile. Leave that part to God, He’ll provide the circumstance, trust me. You just have to deliberately do something when faced with it."

She said one of the most honest things, bless her heart. She said, "Yeah, but it’s much easier to deny something, than it is to actually do something." That was Blair spouting wisdom and she didn’t even know it.

Hmmmmm......I didn’t know where this column was going until I saw that sentence there.

“It is much easier to deny something, than it is to actually do something."

Several years ago, God gave me a very, very powerful visual that just happens to fit right here. At the time, I just held it in my heart, being deeply affected by it but never really knowing what to do with it -----but now I know it fits right here.

“It is much easier to deny something, than it is to actually do something."

Matthew 22: 36 -38 "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment."

This visual occurred years ago, before my son had a car. I was dropping him off for his church service, and afterward I was sitting at a stoplight next to another church in the area. It was there that God came to me as powerfully as He ever had and spoke as loudly as He ever had spoken to me through a visual. First, let me clarify one thing about this visual. The visual was given to me using this particular church. It wasn’t about this particular church. This building just had what was needed to provide me the visual. Yet we know a building is not a church. The family of believers is His church. All believers. He was not speaking of this church in particular -- he was speaking of His church ---- His followers --- His family ---- those who call him Father. Keep that in your mind as you see this visual along with me.

“It is much easier to deny something, than it is to actually do something."

I sat at the red light, and it seemed unusually long. So long that I started looking around, waiting for the light to change to green so I could get on my way. The sidewalks in the area were all empty, so I figured worship was underway.

“Love the Lord your God, with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind."

As I was waiting for this ridiculously long red light to turn green, my attention was drawn to a sign in front of the church. A sign that simply said the Bible verse:

“Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by?" Lamentations 1:12

I pondered what those words meant to my heart as the light finally turned green and I could go on my way.

“It is much easier to deny something, than it is to actually do something.

An hour later, I drove back the same way to pick up my son. Church had let out and the sidewalks were filled with those Sunday morning worshipers walking to their cars, standing and talking. Hundreds of them.

I hit the same red light --- again.

Suddenly, I felt God all around me so strongly that I could barely move. His presence filled my car so powerfully that my body went weak. Then God literally took my head in His hands and turned me to look beyond the people --- to look in the direction of the sign that had caught my eye just an hour earlier. The sign that I was still pondering in my heart.

“Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by?" Lamentations 1:12

Only this time, in front of that sign that read,

“Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by?", God had placed two homeless people, dressed in rags, unkempt, faces worn from life, garbage bags with all their worldly belongings next to their feet.

The sign shone like a beacon behind their heads:

“Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by?"

Matthew 22: 39-40 "And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."

God certainly spoke to my heart. Maybe to yours as well. Those "homeless" people can be people who have no "home." Maybe just someone who feels alone. Outcast. Burdened. Defeated. Hurt. Worn from life. Struggling. They can be people that have no hope. They are a symbol of anyone ----- anyone ----- with a need. Anyone with a hurt. Anyone. In fact recently when I was in pain, my heart hurting deeply over recent events with my father’s health -- I felt very alone --- and I distinctly heard those words echo in my heart.

“Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by?"
 

Copyright 2007 Linda Woodward. All rights reserved.