Be Presentናሙና

Be intentional

Friends of ours recommended we rent a boat to travel the canals during our 20th anniversary trip to France. So, I became the captain of my ship. At one point we stopped at a mooring station among all the other travelers. I jumped off of the boat and was using a two pound hammer to drive a stake in the ground to secure the stern. While I wasn’t paying attention, I missed the stake, and the hammer flew out of my hand into the canal. The whole crowd that had gathered to watch me erupted in laughter! A fellow traveler, a Frenchman who was named Jean Pierre, of course, gave me the sign to “dive in” and retrieve the hammer. That wasn’t going to happen, so Jean Pierre brought me his hammer. I was then at the bow’s mooring station, and you won’t believe what happened. Jean Pierre’s hammer just flew out my hand and into the canal. No, really! There was laughter everywhere!

I tried to pay Jean Pierre for the hammer. He wouldn’t accept the money. I climbed on my boat feeling so sorry about the whole situation. My wife was trying to console me through her laughter when I saw Jean Pierre come up the stairs of our boat with four glasses and a bottle of wine. He opened the wine and made a toast. After much effort to translate his toast, we decided that he said, “The hammer was worth the laugh.”

Amazing! A stranger took the initiative to connect with me with generosity and grace. Jean Pierre was a delightful human being, and I learned these three things from him: 

Initiative – He could’ve stayed on his boat, but he didn’t! He came over and climbed up the ladder to cheer me up and reassure me all was forgiven. God has taken the initiative to reconcile with us. He sent His son Jesus because He wanted a relationship with you and me. 

Vulnerability – I can be myself. Even when we didn’t understand each other entirely, we were able to communicate the important things. Jesus says that I don’t have to have my act together to come to Him. He invites you to come just as you are. 

Grace – Jean Pierre could’ve ranted in anger and demanded a thousand bucks for his hammer, and I would’ve paid it somehow because I felt so sorry about what happened. Grace doesn’t need to be earned. It only asks to be received and enjoyed. Receive the gift of God’s grace. 

This week is going to be a busy week. Let’s be intentional about connecting with people who may need for someone to take the initiative and show them that, “I see you. I care about you.” Heavenly Father, thank you for taking the initiative and for the grace you have shown me. Today I receive your grace. Show me where I can slow down to notice others and extend your grace to them.