Welcomed inconvenience

For the story that just happened to have full effect, you have to know what I've been praying for. I have felt so busy and bogged down with things, that I have been praying that I would be inconvenienced. Its not that I want to feel like things are going wrong, its just that when so much of my life is mapped out, I have no time to welcome spontaneous things--its like I won't welcome life to happen. And really, its in the moments of inconvenience that I've felt blessed and able to share the gospel with others, the love of Jesus, and just life. So thats the heart behind it, I've been praying that in the midst of busyness, I would be inconvenienced and things would happen that would make me late, challenge me, force me to live out what I proclaim. 

My prayer was just answered in the parking lot of Kinkos--of all places. Its the place that God and I have the funniest conversations and I have in all honesty, felt closest to Jesus. Its a place of complete vulnerability for me because I'm nearly always exposed in Kinkos. Thats another story though. I was walking out with bible study material in hand and our weekly meeting flyer finished. Its been one of those weeks where its been a struggle to get all that printed, but its not that big of a deal, because I go to Kinkos at least once a day. I got into my car, put everything down, and began to pull through the parking spot, when an Intrepid pulled into the spot next to me, but it looked like she wasn't parking but rather trying to get my attention. Her window was down and she nodded at me. I put mine down and she said to me, "I've already asked three people and they all said no. Would you mind giving me two dollars so me and my 4 month old could get back to Cottondale, it would greatly bless me" 

Its really not irony, but provision that I had a five sitting in a cup holder. I never have cash that easily accessible. But God had me to have it there. I replied quickly and said of course, hopped out of my car and handed her a five. She said thank you sweatheart, you have no idea how much this means to me. I said God bless, and was on my way. It was all of a minute. 

So really, you're thinking no big deal. But the thing is, I had somewhere to go, things to do, and I'm sure a place to spend that five bucks. But God had something better in store. When she pulled up, my first thought was....does she see the line, she is about to hit me. Really it just shows that I'm a mess and hardly at all welcome these moments. Its all about me and how my day runs perfectly. If I have the opportunity to 'help' someone because its my job, then I will. But in the grand scheme of things, in all I've done this week, and all I'll do, I bet that five bucks is the best I've got. I bet the impact of that is far greater than an hour over coffee or perfect bible study material.

Inconveniences really aren't that inconvenient. Not if our eyes are fixed on Jesus and loving Him with our life. If all thats true, then those moments are just a moment in time when lives collide and you are faced with an opportunity to say yes.