The doorbell rang frightfully early. My husband, a builder, had already left to meet a delivery man at the construction site in an adjacent subdivision. From a window, I had seen a truck idling and wondered what type of delivery required such an enormous vehicle. Our dogs were barking, and loud doesn't quite cover their frenzy over a strange man standing on our doorstep.
Resigned to seeing what this was about, I opened the door and the dogs rushed out. While the man's attention was on our fierce little dachshund, the other dog nipped his pant leg. The stranger danced around trying to disengage the dog's grip and waved his phone at me.
Through the driver's halting English, I realized he was attempting to deliver the load of rock destined for the construction site but had the addresses mixed up. He was upset because his phone wasn't working. The dogs were making the whole situation worse, but we had to work through this so he could deliver the rock. I called my husband and they hashed out a plan. The rock man insisted on meeting him at the entrance of our subdivision so he could follow him to the construction site.
My husband and I knew the way as we had driven there countless times. It was easy for us but far more complicated for him. It didn't matter if the site was two right turns and five minutes away. If he got lost, with his non-working phone, he had no way of getting back in touch with anyone except me.
As Christians, we gaze from our snug perch and don't understand why the way to salvation is so hard for some. We forget it's all new territory for them. In the oft-quoted Scripture passage about love, the first line reads, Love is patient.
Be patient with those who don't know the way to salvation. Be kind. Allow Christ's dynamic love to flow through you, and others will find their way home.
(Photo courtesy of morguefile and jppi.)
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Mary Pat Johns is currently a Bible teacher at Faith Family, a mega-church in Victoria, Texas. Her teaching venues include assignments for ladies’ Bible study and assisting her husband with their weekly Understanding God class. She also serves as an instructor for Destiny Bible Institute. A mother and grandmother, she lives with her husband and their miniature dachshund Ike, who runs the show.