What if after all you did for them, they still left you, betrayed you, gossiped about you, or turned against you? Was that a waste of time?
After my dad’s miraculous conversion, he pastored a small church in Texas. He visited the local jail regularly and witnessed to a young girl, about 19. She was soon released but had no where to go, so Dad brought her to live with us. She expressed a desire to turn her life around and we were excited for her! We loved on her, I gave her some of my clothes, we tried to help her find a job, and we wanted be a family to her. But one day, we came home to discover she was gone and had taken many of our valuables. She robbed us and we never saw her again. I was angry, but my dad took it so calmly. I asked him why he wasn’t angry too and his answer was: “We got to plant the seed of the word of God in her and that’s all that matters. The stuff is just stuff.” I’ll never forget my Dad’s reaction to such an injustice. It has stayed with me all these years, and I realize now that a seed was also planted in my heart. While I worried about the stuff, he held hope that her soul was impacted in the short time she lived with us. His response made me a better person because I got to see the gospel lived in front of me: “And if they take your tunic, give them your cloak as well.” We all love to preach to others, but sometimes we get the rare opportunity to LIVE IT in a way they will never forget. Our responses to betrayal matter, and if we respond well, then seeds are planted in many hearts.
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