I needed AAA... from Jesus

Someone recently shared with me that my most meaningful blogs are the ones where I actually share about my life.  He felt that vulnerability and honesty about my own "true stories" were much more effective than the typical "chicken soup for the soul" variety of true stories.  He said this to me nicely and with an encouraging motive.  After taking some time to think about it, I agree with him.  I think blogging about the power of true stories from little analogies here and there does not have the same effect as sharing the depths of my heart.  Still, I believe the little stories here and there are lighthearted and are easy to read in the morning when you get to work.  In my future writings, I have determined to find a balance between the enjoyment of an easy read and the complexities of my personal adventure to find God's heart and my own.

I spent time on the telephone last  night with an older Christian brother and mentor of mine named John.  We had not talked in months and it was very nice to speak with him.  I poured out my heart as he listened to my good news and my bad news, my praises and my concerns.  He simply listened until I finished and responded with empathy as well as encouragement and affirmations.  God had certainly arranged the telephone call, almost as if Jesus Himself was calling to check in.

hctra.org

I paced around my front yard as we spoke, looking up at the sky here and there.  I often imagine God to live up there.  We know Jesus ascended into heaven, so I think that's why we always look up.  I picture God on this throne and He is just kind of hanging out up there, looking down, listening, sending His Holy Spirit and His angels to do things here and there.  I have been enduring the pain of a starving heart lately, longing for answers, affirmation and acceptance (the AAA of the emotional world).  I wanted Him to come down from "up there" and hang out "down here" for a while.  I could use some emergency roadside heart assistance because my emotional tire has been flat.  It felt like John was my roadside assistance from heaven.  He came to put the donut on until I could get into the shop and Jesus could fully repair it.

I encourage us all today to remember that we can be emergency roadside assistance to someone.  When the Lord places that person on your heart, reach out to him or her with a spirit of love, gentleness and humility.  There are those in our lives that God has assigned us to be roadside assistance for on a regular basis - our children, significant others, those we lead in ministry, etc.  There are two types of roadside assistance: (1.) the dispatched trucks who respond to a problem and (2.) those who patrol the highways looking for those in need of help.  We must balance both of those means of assistance in our lives, loving those who reach out to us and also being sensitive to know that pulling over to help may be the best decision.  We can do this by listening intently to the hearts of others, withholding advice and offering encouragement and prayer.  We must also be in community with Jesus so that He can dispatch us to someone who needs help or so we can notice those who are in need but are not saying anything.  John is in the habit of loving others, so responding to a call from the Holy Spirit was easy for him.  The first step is to find community with Jesus through prayer and reading His Word.  The second is to ask Him to lead us to those that we may build up, encourage and love.

All things in this world point to Jesus in one way or another.  I like to find how they do.  Roadside assistance, check.  True story.