Be The Apple Of God's Eye In 2007 #458

SURFING WITH JESUS # 458123106
Pastor Gene A. Dasher, Sr.
gene@SurfingwithJesus.com.

BE THE APPLE OF GOD’S EYE IN 2007

A few years ago, a group of salesmen went to regional sales convention in Chicago. The convention lasted all week, and all the salesmen had assured their wives that they would be home in plenty of time for Friday night's dinner.

As they hurried to the airport to catch their return flight, they rushed down the airport's corridor with their briefcases in hand. In their rush, one of these salesmen inadvertently kicked over a table, which held a display of apples. Apples flew everywhere. Without stopping or looking back, they all continued running so they would make their plane.

All but one; he stopped after running a few more yards, took a deep breath, and experienced a twinge of compassion for the girl whose apple stand had been overturned. He told his buddies to go on without him, waved goodbye, told one of them to call his wife when they arrived at their home destination and explain his taking a later flight. Then he returned to the terminal where the apples were all over the terminal floor.

He was glad he did. The 16-year-old girl running the apple cart was totally blind. She was softly crying, tears running down her cheeks in frustration, and at the same time helplessly groping for her spilled produce as the crowd swirled about her, no one stopping and no one to care for her plight.

The salesman knelt on the floor with her, gathered up the apples, put them back on the table and helped organize her display. As he did this, he noticed that many of the apples had become battered and bruised; these he set aside in another basket. When he had finished, he pulled out his wallet and said to the girl, "Here, please take this $40 for the damage we did.

Are you okay?" She nodded through her tears. He continued on with, "I hope we didn't spoil your day too badly." As the salesman started to walk away, the bewildered blind girl called out to him, "Mister..." He paused and turned to look back into those blind eyes. She continued, "Are you Jesus?"

He stopped in mid-stride, and he wondered. Then slowly he made his way to catch the later flight with that question burning and bouncing about in his soul: "Are you Jesus?" Do people mistake you for Jesus?

That's our call, is it not? To be so much like Jesus that people cannot tell the difference as we live and interact with a world (shopping, working, reacting to others that are serving us) that is blind to His love, life and grace.

If we claim to know Him, we should live, walk and act as He would. Knowing Him is more than simply quoting Scripture and going to church. It's actually living the Word as life unfolds day to day. You are the apple of His eye even though we, too, have been bruised by a fall. He stopped what He was doing and picked you and me up on a hill called Calvary and paid in full for our damaged fruit.

Let us live like we are worth the price He paid. Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.God bless you!

Our lives and the lives we touch will be enhanced as we accept the challenge to be seen as Jesus in all we do in 2007. May we share the love of Jesus each day of our new year and encourage souls to receive Christ as their Savior. Likewise, may we be an encouragement and help to fellow Christians as they continue their journey in God. Thanks for sharing with us Patty.

1John 1:9 "If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

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Pastor Gene A. Dasher, Sr., 2355 Parkway Dr. SE, Cleveland, TN 37323

Read previous writings at: http://www.SurfingwithJesus.com.

Join us in prayer for all request received each week. My sole desire as I share is to uplift Christ, fellow Christians, and share the love of Jesus with others.