Give me your eyes...

So I'm home in bed again today. Feeling better than yesterday, but still yucky. I felt like I needed to stay away from people one more day. I don't want to make anyone sick.

Anyways.... I managed to get out of bed this morning long enough to drive through McDonald's for breakfast. On my way home, I saw a woman about my age with a little girl on the side of the road. They had a flat on their van. They were both pacing around their van. I drove right past. As soon I was past them, I realized I should stop and help.

Now... I know that I can't change a flat. I know the basics of how-to, but I've never done this and wouldn't trust driving on a flat tire that I put on the car.

But I did have my cell phone. The way they were pacing made me think that she was as clueless as I would have been in that situation.

I turned around and went back. I asked if she had called anyone for help. She had family on their way and thanked for me for at least stopping.

So off I went. I will confess that I felt so good about stopping. It was so easy to do and yet showed someone that there are still kind people in this world. She made the statement that most people just blow by without caring.

I will admit that the reason I stopped was pretty selfish. One of my goals on my 101 list is to help a stranger 101 times. I thought, "That's one more thing I could mark off." Type A personality? I think so.

On my way home, a verse came to mind.

And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’ Matthew 25:40

I began to wonder how many opportunities like this one I let slip by because I don't have my eyes open. How often do I just walk past someone and never consider what I can do to make their day a little bright?

Sadly, probably more often than not. I made the goal of helping 101 strangers for selfish reasons. But now I'm looking at that goal in a different light. I want this goal to be a way to draw closer to Jesus. I want to have his eyes. I want to see people the way He sees people.

As Christmas is quickly approaching, people are getting busier and busier. The crowds are getting bigger and bigger. The traffic... thicker and thicker. Patience... less and less.

I personally love all of the above. However, some people don't. Some people get angry very quickly because of the above. What a perfect time to show people the love of Christ. To show people that Christmas is about so much more than buying the perfect present.

My prayer this Christmas season is to keep my eyes open. To have the eyes of Jesus. To see people the way He does. To purposefully look for ways to help those around me.