Like Elizabeth Taylor

A Lesson Learned: by Robin Thomas

My house is on the neighborhood dog-walking path.

I happened to be out this morning in my house shoes, pink flannel jammie bottoms, and a t-shirt, watering some plants, that I am desperately trying to keep alive in drought-ridden California, when an older gentleman walks by with his dog and says, “Has anyone ever told you that you look like Elizabeth Taylor?”

Now, I am short and blonde, and even in my youth, looked nothing like Elizabeth Taylor.

So I replied, “No, I have never heard that one.

He said, “You are a beautiful woman.”

I said, “Thank you.”

And he walked on.

Now, before I overanalyzed the situation, I realized that he was just trying to say something nice. And you know what?

It made me feel good.

I think we get these little “God moments” in our life where God just inserts a little uplifting moment.

The other day at the grocery store the man behind me in line was talking about Father’s day and how he had one daughter. He was telling the checker (let’s call her Gloria) that his daughter was Gloria’s age, 44.

Gloria replied, “Honey, I’m 60 years old, I’m not the age of your daughter. I was born in 1962!”

Feigned or otherwise, the man’s eyes bugged out and said, “You’ve got to be kidding.”

I was standing right there thinking, well that would make me feel good.

Ironically, I was .42 cents short on my grocery bill and he said, “Just put it on my bill.”

I had the money, but it was nice that he offered.

I think we have so many negative things in our world right now that it is such a bright light when someone does or says something nice.

Just say, “Thank you.”

Don’t overanalyze, don’t shrug it off, don’t argue or talk them out of it, because good deeds benefit the giver as much or more that the recipient.

I think of all the pressure to proselytize.

pros·e·lyt·ize /ˈpräs(ə)ləˌtīz/

To convert or attempt to convert (someone) from one religion, belief, or opinion to another.

As Christians, we feel the pressure to share our faith.

But when have you ever listened to a person that was trying to shove something down your throat? Never. Or sometimes you might hear them out just to get rid of them.

I was reading this morning about Paul’s (Saul) conversion to Christianity.

In Acts 9, of the Bible, Saul, a hard-core persecutor of Christians, was sent to Damascus to stop the uprising of conversions to Christianity. On the road to Damascus, a light from heaven flashed around him (Acts 9:3). He fell to the ground and the voice of Jesus, the risen Lord, asked him why he was persecuting the Christians. He was struck blind and told to go into Damascus and await his instructions.

Well, his instructions came from a man named Ananias, who the Lord told in a vision to go to Damascus and meet with Saul. Ananias' response was something like,

“Wait, Lord, are we talking Saul, the guy that murders all the Christians just for being Christians?”

Yep, that’s the one. He is the one I have chosen to lead my church.

Ananias’ eyes bug out of his head and he gulps in a weak voice. “Okay, Lord, you’re the boss.”

So Ananias obeys the Lord and goes to Damascus, touches Saul, restores his sight, renames him Paul, and baptizes him in the Holy Spirit.

Paul goes on to be one of the most prominent figures in the early church writing the lion’s share of the New Testament.

Max Lucado, in his new book, They Walked with God asks, “Has God given you a Saul?” (Lucado, pg18)

Are you the Ananias that gave a kind word (the touch) to someone along the way and restored them?

Was your kind word, your offering of cookies, or your willingness to help a neighbor the touch they needed to restore them?

The beautiful song, In Jesus' Name by Katy Nichole is running through my mind. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihrUIPfvTh8

https://youtu.be/YqHjjZz1Syg

I speak the name of Jesus over you In your hurting, in your sorrow I will ask my God to move I speak the name 'cause it's all that I can do In desperation, I'll seek Heaven And pray this for you…

Do we not have more power in the name of Jesus when we live like him and show people who HE is by being the light?

Don’t discount the small kindnesses, the man that told me I look like Elizabeth Taylor, ha! SMILE:)

God Bless Him!