Yesterday Terry and I were running some errands, thinking of any supplies we might need should we be forced to stay home for a couple of weeks. Before we left, I looked at my hand sanitizers. I put a new bottle in my purse (we use these every day, anyway; but more so, now). I stared at them for a second and had this feeling to grab a second bottle. I argued with myself for a moment, “We won’t need the second bottle. I have half a bottle plus this one in my purse, and one in the truck.” But for some reason, I felt the urge to grab the second bottle, so I picked it up and put it in my purse.
We went about our long day, going to Home Depot, then picked up some items at Sams, but I also wanted to swing by Publix on our way back, because I needed onions and garlic. I did not need 40 onions, or 40 bulbs of garlic, so this made Publix an essential stop.
I also decided to pick up some chicken breasts and some ground turkey. It looked like right before a big snow hits, in Tennessee. The shelves were almost empty. A lady next to me and I commented how very few items were actually available, and how quickly this virus is spreading. She said, “I want ground beef but there’s only one package.” I was standing next to it and I believe she thought perhaps I was going to get it. (I wasn’t. I was getting Italian sausage because Terry requested my spaghetti). I reached over, picked up the package of ground beef and handed it to her. “Oh no, baby. That’s alright. You get it,” she said to me.
“No ma’am! I am allergic to beef, so I was just handing it to you before someone else comes over to get it.” We both noticed there was a little bit of damp, stickiness on the bottom, so I whipped out my hand sanitizer and gave my hands a good scrubbing. My new friend (who was wearing scrubs, and I believe was either a doctor or a nurse) told me, “I keep one here (pointing to the pocket of her top) but gave my last one to the spouse of one of my patients today.”
I opened my purse back up and grabbed the second bottle and handed it to her. “Here. Have a unicorn,” I told her. This precious lady held up her hands in protest and said, “No, baby. I can’t take that from you! Those are hot commodities right now!” I stepped forward and insisted. I said, “Listen. I stock up on these when they are on sale. They are inexpensive, and I have plenty. Take this unicorn cookie scented bottle. It does me no good if I stockpile all the good stuff and don’t share it with other people who need it!” She thanked me profusely, and we both went about our ways.
But as I turned and went down one of the aisles, I remembered the tugging in my heart before we left the house yesterday morning. “Grab the second bottle.” What if I had not listened to The Holy Spirit nudging me to grab the second bottle? Furthermore, what about the words I had just spoken to this lady … “It does me no good if I stockpile all the good stuff and don’t share it with other people who need it.” Please do not think I’m looking for, “atta girl” with this. The bottle was in a set I purchased after Christmas for dirt cheap, probably cost me about $0.75. But if the people all around us are not healthy, we will get sick, too.
Friends, we do not need to stockpile all the toilet paper and hand sanitizer and Clorox and Lysol wipes. We won’t stop the spread of the virus if only one house is clean. We need to share all of this goodness with other people. More importantly, it does us no good if we stockpile all the good stuff regarding The Kingdom, and don’t share the goodness of God with other people who need it.
We need to be more bold in the way we love Jesus, by loving others better. We need to be more bold about sharing how we came through difficult, horrific times. We need to be more bold and love the person who is not very lovable. We need to be more bold and not keep the rich, tender, grace and mercy of our loving Papa and share it with this deeply hurting world.
You and I can rest easy in the promises from a loving God. But we don’t need to keep this awesome hope to ourselves. We need to share it. Share it with everyone we encounter. “Why are you so happy” someone might ask you. Tell them, “Because I serve a living God who loves me so much, He gave the life of His Son for me.”
There is tremendous hope in knowing our place in eternity is secure. Don’t keep it to yourself. Share it. Jesus said, “My Father's house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?”- John 14:2 (NIV)
Check on your elderly neighbors. See if they need anything. Do you know children who are on free and reduced meal programs? Leave some non perishable food items by their front door. If you do not know children in need, call a local guidance counselor, or send them an email. They might be able to tell you where you can get some food into the hands of a family in need. And please, please, please, if you do this … do not share it on social media. The One who matters will see it. “"The King will reply, 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.'” - Matthew 25:40 (NIV)