I sat in the comfort of my home. I was surrounded by my bibles, notes, computers and aids to look deep into God’s Word. I had even written in my precious journal about “having a heart of love, a heart without compromise for my Lord Jesus”. I even enjoyed my worship music quietly playing, and then it happened. My cell phone rang with a phone number I didn’t recognize.
It was a friend I had helped a couple of times before. Her life was messy to be honest. It looked nothing like mine. She was often homeless and needing more than I ever thought I had to give. Her request was simple today and it was something I felt I could do without interrupting my life too much; drive her to an appointment.
We talked some more and eventually I prayed for her. As she began talking about her life, she shared with me her desire to have a bicycle to get around more. She mentioned a pastor’s name who said he’d try to help. I shared back other church names that had services that could help her as well…but then it hit me!
So quietly, so tender, so gentle to prick my heart in truth; it wasn’t organizations who were meant to help her. It was the one she reached out to, calling for help…it was me. I had bicycles in my garage hanging on hooks for the couple times in years I had used them. My heart was wounded for how I had been so blind to think it was someone else’s job to answer her need. I quickly responded to the prick of my heart to tell her I had a bike for her. Her words of gratitude felt bitter to my ears, but they corrected my steps once more.
After getting off the phone, I looked at my bible, my notes, my journal and the comfortable environment I was given to enjoy them. An ache pounded in my chest for how easy it was to get so far away from the very words I was reading. I added to my journal, “thank You, to show me what You really mean by love without compromise, keep it coming Lord!”