Like so many other things in life, we are doing the opposite of what Jesus said to do. God hit me right between the eyes this morning as I stared at my blog and read the intro underneath the heading. "...join us as we LIVE among them, LOVE them practically, and LIFT HIGH the name of Jesus". We've certainly got the living among them part down, and sadly that in itself takes up most of our personal, emotional, and spiritual strength! But what about loving them practically?
What about how hard and inconvenient it is? No one told us that. What about when they just want to use you for what you know, or ask you about working the system for more money without having to work? Or ask you to help them get out of government trouble when you told them beforehand not to lie on their taxes. Do you help them? What about when you plan big gatherings for special families only to have them not show up? What about when the kids are mean or disrespectful with your belongings? What if they make fun of your son who is behind in his development? What do you do then?
Loving people practically. It's easier to write on a cute tagline than actually flesh out in real life. But the truth is, the picture of us living here and having to "deal" with these refugees and all of the annoying and sometimes hurtful things they do is just a clear picture of how Jesus has to deal with me daily. I get upset that they are being dishonest on their taxes, like I've never manipulated anything for my own gain. Or I get so mad that I warned them ahead of time that making a choice would come back to bite them, as if I have never heard God tell me no and did it anyways. And I put forth effort to host them, I clean and cook and spend hours preparing a feast... to have my heart dashed. So God has never laid out riches and blessings before me just to have me decide something else was more important? And kids make fun of my baby... as if I have never pridefully judged someone thinking I'm better.
The only way we can be that "city on the hill" or the "light on the lamp stand" in spite of our emotions of frustration, hurt, or flat-out annoyance is to remember how incredibly gracious God is with us DAILY. The lengths it takes Him to love us daily is far more than He is asking us to do for these refugees. So when I am hurt or mad, instead of closing all of our blinds for a week and pretending to be "busy", God asks that we still be that city on a hill, a place people can look for unconditional love and grace. A place that doesn't exist in their world. A place that says they can stand us up ten times and leave us with uneaten feasts, but if they come on the 11th time, surely a feast will still be waiting in their honor. He does it for me constantly, shame on me for saying they had their chance.
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