Since it’s the Christmas season, I’ve been watching “White Christmas” a number of times, and the housekeeper in that movie is what I would call a legitimate “eavesdropper,” a “busybody.” She listens in on private phone conversations for the pure “need to know the info” thrill of it. I’m not afraid to admit it. I’m a people watcher. More than that, I listen to random conversations. I’m not really listening, however, just to be nosey.
I am listening for the purpose of discovering a need and trying to figure out if I can help in any way. I call this “needs-dropping.” For instance, one day I was in a women’s clothing store and I overheard a woman say to the salesclerk, “Please hang on to that box it came in because I’m moving and I’m trying to get as many boxes as I can.” Having moved 4 times in the last 6 years, after this last move, I kept my boxes (some of which I had to buy) and they were neatly broken down and stored under the basement stairs waiting for my next move. I had about 140 boxes down there.
Now I am getting ready to move from Michigan to Oregon but to a 675 sq. ft. loft where the only room with a door is the bathroom. Needless to say, there is no place to store 140 boxes worth of stuff and have furniture as well (unless I plan to use the boxes as a sofa, chairs, tables, and bed), so I’ve been giving stuff away right and left. This is how God has been working with me: I had just been thinking about what to do with all those boxes…literally, not two days before this encounter. Along comes this woman with an emergent need. She happened to start browsing near me, so I said to her, “Excuse me, I just overheard you say that you were moving and needed boxes.” (This is where the “deer in the headlights” look comes into play, so I quickly moved on.) “I have about 140 boxes from a recent move that I thought I would be re-using but it turns out I won’t be needing most of them and you are more than welcomed to them, if you’d like to come and get them.”
She seemed a little confused, so I explained about moving to the smaller place, etc. and repeated my offer. She was ecstatic. It turns out her sister was almost ready to lose her house, and she (this lady) was getting divorced, so she was moving into the sister’s house to take over the payments and her sister and the sister’s family were moving in with their mother. Apparently, this woman was going to attempt to move her stuff, quickly unpack her boxes, then help her sister pack her stuff (all in the same house, remember). Now, however, she would be able to take her time unpacking her stuff because there would be plenty of boxes. I gave her all my information and directions to my house and she said she’d be there that evening. True to her word, she called and came to my place and we loaded all those boxes (including a big box of bubble wrap and packing paper) in her father’s big SUV. She promised she would recycle them by giving them to people who needed them for moving, gave me a big hug, and off she went. A providential meeting met two needs: hers, to get much needed boxes, and mine, to dispose of boxes I didn’t need. Though we have each other’s information, neither one of us has called the other. Not because we don’t care, but because we both recognized it for what it was. There was no other commitment implied or needed other than the exchange, for which we were both grateful.
Barnabas is one of my favorite men of the Bible (Acts 11:24 [show] [24]for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord. (ESV)
). He was a “needs-dropper.” He paid attention to people and, more importantly, cared about them and wanted to help them in any way possible as the Spirit moved him. As God’s workmanship, we are to be mindful of other people’s needs and we are called to minister to them–not as much as we are willing, but as much as we can (I Peter 1:22 [show] [22]Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, (ESV)). If we did everything only to the extent of our willingness, very little would get done. Barnabas would recognize the need, walk alongside the needy one for however long the season of need lasted, and then move on to the next person. Undoubtedly, he formed some longlasting friendships with some of these people , but I believe, for the most part, his goal was to serve God by ministering to people in need just for that particular time. And while he was serving them, he would speak of the things of the Lord and they would grow and mature in their walk with the Lord. If they didn’t know the Lord, Barnabas would introduce them to his wonderful Savior. His name means “son of encouragement” and he lived up to that name beautifully.
It’s almost Christmas. Another 12 days. People are being very careful with their spending, of course, and I’m sure many of the charitable organizations are feeling the pinch of the economy this season as people struggle to tend to their own families. But giving doesn’t always mean digging into your pockets or purses. In God’s Word, though giving financially is part of helping, the two greatest commandments have to do with loving. The first, to love the Lord with all your heart, mind and strength; the second, to love others as you love yourself. That’s what giving is in God’s eyes. I have often said that writing a check is easy, so much easier than giving time or energy. You can make more money, but you can’t get any of those other things back once used.
But you certainly don’t walk away empty. There is a miracle of Christ recorded in Luke 17 [show] And he said to his disciples, "Temptations to sin are sure to come, but woe to the one through whom they come! [2]It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were cast into the sea than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin. [3]Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him, [4]and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, 'I repent,' you must forgive him."
[5]The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith!" [6]And the Lord said, "If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it would obey you.
[7]"Will any one of you who has a servant plowing or keeping sheep say to him when he has come in from the field, 'Come at once and recline at table'? [8]Will he not rather say to him, 'Prepare supper for me, and dress properly, and serve me while I eat and drink, and afterward you will eat and drink'? [9]Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded? [10]So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, 'We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.'"
[11]On the way to Jerusalem he was passing along between Samaria and Galilee. [12]And as he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance [13]and lifted up their voices, saying, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us." [14]When he saw them he said to them, "Go and show yourselves to the priests." And as they went they were cleansed. [15]Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; [16]and he fell on his face at Jesus' feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. [17]Then Jesus answered, "Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? [18]Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?" [19]And he said to him, "Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well."
[20]Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he answered them, "The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed, [21]nor will they say, 'Look, here it is!' or 'There!' for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you."
[22]And he said to the disciples, "The days are coming when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. [23]And they will say to you, 'Look, there!' or 'Look, here!' Do not go out or follow them. [24]For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day. [25]But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation. [26]Just as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of Man. [27]They were eating and drinking and marrying and being given in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. [28]Likewise, just as it was in the days of Lot--they were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building, [29]but on the day when Lot went out from Sodom, fire and sulfur rained from heaven and destroyed them all-- [30]so will it be on the day when the Son of Man is revealed. [31]On that day, let the one who is on the housetop, with his goods in the house, not come down to take them away, and likewise let the one who is in the field not turn back. [32]Remember Lot's wife. [33]Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will keep it. [34]I tell you, in that night there will be two in one bed. One will be taken and the other left. [35]There will be two women grinding together. One will be taken and the other left." [37]And they said to him, "Where, Lord?" He said to them, "Where the corpse is, there the vultures will gather." (ESV), verses 11-17. He healed 10 lepers, but only one came back to thank Him and he, alone, got the spiritual blessing. The others were only cleansed on the outside, but this man’s faith–because he recognized Who had healed him and came back to glorify God–cleansed him on the inside and saved him. When you are obedient to the Spirit’s leading to help someone who has a need, you are glorifying God and He blesses you for your faith. (2 Corinthians 9:11-12, 15 [show] [11]You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God. [12]For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints but is also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God. (ESV)
[15]Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift! (ESV))
These can be the smallest of services, by the way. I was walking my dog to a grassy area near my little shop and always pass a beauty salon at the end of the strip mall. It was a blustery, cold day and an elderly man was trying to help his wife into the salon. She could not seem to even raise her foot enough to get up to the curb, though he had her right hand in his right hand and his left hand securely holding her elbow. Still, she was uncertain and unsteady. It took only a smile from me and a “Need some help?” with my hand extended to get her up the curb toward the few steps it took to get to the door. They were both so grateful, I think more because they were not overlooked but “noticed,” and not passed by, but helped. It took literally seconds, cost not one cent, but we all benefitted from the act. It feels good to help someone.
This Christmas season and throughout the whole year, step out of your own self and step into the world of others by “needs-dropping.” You will be blessed, I promise you, because God sees and is pleased.
Merry Christmas to all of you and may God bless you abundantly in the year to come!
