Love in a box

This is an old post from Facebook...but thought it should go on here as well.

So as many of you know I work at a Rescue Mission. For those of you that don't know..well there you go. We are a homeless shelter and a drug, alcohol and recovery program for men. Well I could tell you stories for hours with how the Lord has spoken to me through the men and people I come in contact with. But I want to share with you something that happened today that the Lord spoke volumes through.

We accept donations of everything and anything at the Mission. This afternoon a man called and said that he had some men's clothing he wanted to bring by. So I got a phone call from the gentleman and he was asking where he could park. I described the lot to the man and told him I would meet him out there considering our transients were already lined up outside the door because it was take-in time and many people are scared or uncomfortable around those kind of individuals. So I meet the man and his wife outside at their vehicle. I become aware that the woman was weeping while she was helping with the many boxes and bags. Her husband proceeds to tell me that they'll hurry but "she's having a moment". I explain that it's completely ok and to take their time.

I learn that these are clothes of her father who has suddenly passed away. I watch this woman as she cries over each box and smells each garment which seems to bring on more memories for her before she passes a box on to one of the men in our program for him to carry inside and store in the closet. It's very clear that she was close to her father and that he had a huge impact in who she is.

I took that back with me to my office as the Lord began speaking to me. How much do we love the Lord that we want to take His smell and each different smell brings back so many memories of what He has brought us from or what He's done in our life that it brings strong emotions to the surface? Do we simply have a platonic relationship with Christ that has no growth therefore that is the reason we don't see the need nor the opportunities to share His pure, sacrificial love with others?

This takes me to my second observation. As we would unload the vehicle with the huge pile of clothes the men waiting in line outside to check in for the evening would watch intensely and their eyes would follow each box as it went up the stairs past them into the closet. It made me think about how it represented their longing for love, for someone to show them the Love of Christ. Their longing showed on their faces as though what was held in those boxes could solve all their problems. There were clean, fresh smelling, stainless, dry clothes as opposed to the clothes they are wearing. Those clothes are dirty, severely stained literally disgusting. We hold what they need in those boxes.

We have what they need in our lives...why do we hoard it? Why do we find it so hard to show the Love of Christ to others? Christ daily presents opportunities and yet we say we don't have time or it makes us uncomfortable. I mean Lord, please don't make us uncomfortable we all know that's the last thing He wants. Get over ourselves!!!

I believe we are missing out on so much because we're either selfish or we don't want to be uncomfortable with comfort. Please tell me where it says in Scripture that God wants our lives to be easy breezy cheesy!!
Please don't think I'm pointing fingers at anyone...if anything I am so convicted that I'm calling myself out. I just felt extremely convicted to share. I pray you seize every opportunity and don't miss out on the blessings Christ has for you just because it's not ordinary.