Linda and Diane were friends of mine in high school. Cute girls who were
giggly and boy crazy, but shy, whenever one said hello to them they went to
pieces. They would go to the yearbook, look them up, find where they lived, and
cruise by in Linda’s Dad’s Olds 98. With her Mom driving. Ducking down in the
seat so no one could see as they passed by, sometimes 2-3 times. We usually
hung out in Linda’s basement on Saturdays, and the talk this week was of a new
guy who said hi to her named Dave. Turns out it was a guy I played ball with,
“would you like me to introduce you to him?” And the desperate pleas to not
embarrass her were really a yes would you please. So on one Saturday afternoon,
I rode along in the back seat of the 98, big enough to sublet, and we drove past
Dave’s house. Now it was always her dream that the person whose house she drove
by would be out, they would see her, have her stop and ask her to visit. But
many drive bys were with them crouched in the seat so they couldn’t be seen just
in case that certain someone was outside. And she would die of embarrassment.
And on this particular fall afternoon, Dave was out raking leaves as we drove
by. I called out his name, he responded “hey Mike,” and Linda sank in the seat
dying of embarrassment. I asked her Mom to turn around and go back and stop,
and Linda dropped to floor, “take me home!” I was never invited along for a
ride again....
But such was the meeting process as teens, seeing someone across a crowded
room, making eye contact, hoping they would notice too, and the relationship
began. Drive bys with your mother optional. But in some way that is how we are
first introduced to Jesus. We are at a party, or out with a friend, and you see
him, something is different about him, and you want to meet him. You may even
be bold enough to say hi, or introduce yourself. But soon you strike up a
conversation, and you are enamored, and you become friends. You want to find
out his likes and dislikes, as being friends you want to please him. You may
even cruise by his place a church, just to see where he lives or hangs out. But
a funny thing begins to happen to you, as you become friends you want to please
him, so change your bad habits, you don’t want to embarrass him like you do with
others. Your language and habits change, and soon he offers you to join his
family, his inner circle. And you accept, we call it salvation, and the
relationship continues and grows. You have decided to follow this man wherever
he goes, knowing he is the son of God, and his name is Jesus. And he calls you
friend, and wants to be your friend. No more drive bys, no more wondering, or
wandering, you become a child of God, a joint heir with him, and your life has
been changed forever. By this chance meeting....
Which like my ride with Linda that day was no chance. Long before time God
knew what you would need, and how to draw you to him. What seems like a chance
meeting is really part of the plan he has for you, to become part of your life,
and you to become part of his. There may be times you are embarrassed by him,
he is so good and your old friends so bad, but he never looks down on them or
you. He listens to them, answers their questions, and wants to be their friend,
Lord and savior. But it is their choice, just like it was yours. Some will
become his friend, some reject him, but no one will ever be the same after
meeting him. If only all your friends were as good a friend as Jesus.
Meeting Jesus is maybe as easy as the song you sang in Sunday School,
“Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so.” Maybe we are a bit
harder, and don’t see our sin, he offers forgiveness and mercy, not pointing out
our sin, but showing love. Our sin finds us out. Yet many drive by, and keep
going, hard for me to figure, since I know him. But his offer still stands
today....
Later when seeing Dave in school, he wondered what I was doing on his side
of town. “Just passing by with a friend,” Linda might have killed me if I told
him. Don’t let the time with Jesus pass you by, you will die without him. Be
bold in love, guided by his spirit, and when you see that stranger across the
crowded room, don’t miss the chance to get to know him. When we welcome
strangers, we are doing what he tells the church to do in Matthew 25, for when
we do we are doing unto him. And some of us are stranger than others. But one
funny thing about Jesus, his love may seem strange at first, but if you miss it
you miss out on everything. It may be just like when Gatsby first saw Daisy
across the crowded room, he knew his life would be changed forever. Jesus meets
you where you are, across a crowded room or even crouched down in the front
seat.....I call him Lord, he just calls me friend.
love with compassion,
Mike
matthew25biker.blogspot.com