Attention : Conveying appropriate interest, concern, and care; taking notice of others and making an effort to enter into their respective worlds. (1 Corinthians 12:25 NASB)
This true story makes my heart burst with joy!
I was talking to an officer close to my family and he told me this story of a wreck he worked on one night.The officer was pulled to the side of the road with another vehicle and he watched an accident happen right before him. He approached the car that was in the accident and it was a young man. This young man, we will call him John, was about 17 years old and he immediately took responsibility for the accident. “Officer, this was totally my fault! I was paying attention to you and the car you pulled over and I didn’t see the car in front of me,” John said.
John had to call his parents and the officer had to write him a ticket since he actually saw the accident happen. John’s father was not happy with him and they had to wait for John’s mom to come. The officer told John that it would not be safe for him to drive the car and he would need to have the car towed. John told the officer that he trusted his opinion about it and the officer called a towing company.
As the two waited for the tow truck and John’s mom to arrive, they talked. John asked the officer ” May I pray for you?” (Remember John is 17 and he wanted to pray for the officer!!!) John prayed for the officer and his safety on the job. As they talked John asked, “do you go to church?” The officer replied, “Yes, I do. ” John said, “I have to ask, If you were to die tonight do you know where you would go?” The officer replied that he did. (The officer is a believer)
Can you imagine??? This 17 year old young man had the bravery to take this situation and turn the attention on the officer instead of himself! As a matter of fact, John showed more Jesus to the officer than his parents did! The dad was angry and the mom was frustrated. John remained calm the whole time.
The officer took the opportunity to tell the mom after she arrived to the scene that she should be so proud of her son. The officer told the mom that her son took responsibility for his actions right away. John told his mom, “Hey, He is a fellow believer!” (Talking about the officer) (Imagine…John was excited to tell his mom that the officer was a fellow believer instead of the focus being on getting himself out of trouble!)
This young man made an impression on the officer and on me. I had to ask myself, If I were in the same situation would I use that opportunity to serve and give attention to the officer or would I have been wrapped up in the trouble of the situation? I think probably the later of the two, but I have a new way to think in the future! I/We can use any opportunity as an opportunity to be Jesus, even in the midst of a stressful situation.
We have many opportunities to turn the attention off of ourselves and on to others through our day…everyday! We just need to ask God to “prompt” us when a situation arises! I am in awe of this young man and how he took this opportunity to turn the attention to the officer. He could have easily been focused on the problem at hand and all the consequences of what just happened, yet he turned it into a God moment.
Though the officer was already a believer…imagine this encounter! One man’s faith shone a bright light into an officer’s night. Most nights are filled with trouble for this officer yet this night God shined brightly just for him. God reminded this officer that He is always present.
What would you do in this situation? Can you recall a time that could have been turned into a God moment? My prayer will now be, “May I turn EVERY moment into a moment for You Lord!” I know this will not come by accident but by purposefully paying attention to God moving. I can only do that if I am spending time daily with Him and practicing hearing His voice. Will you join me?
This is absolutely out of my comfort zone! But, If I put myself in the officer’s shoes I have to ask myself, “Wouldn’t I want God to show up for me?” What if I could be God’s love in a situation? That trumps my feeling of being uncomfortable. Are you with me? Are you willing to reach out to others and believers by showing your attention and reflecting Christ to them?