Never Too Busy
by Larry Leming

A few years ago, I attended a mission conference where the key speaker shared the following story. He told of one of his own mission trips to an international country where he was slated to speak and share with several country villages. During one day of the trip, there were transportation problems so he and his interpreter were going to have to walk several miles from one village to the next.  They were already on a tight schedule and were trying to make it on time. 

The speaker said that as they walked down a dirt road, they could see a small country farm in the distance. As they got a bit closer, they saw a peasant woman, working outside, feeding the animals and such. As they neared the farm, the speaker said he felt God’s urging to stop and talk with this peasant woman.   He knew, though, they were already running late for the next speaking engagement, so he dismissed it. This continued to happen as they approached the farm and he even mentioned it to his interpreter who quickly told him they did not have time.

They finally made it to the farm and as they passed the animal pen, the peasant woman looked up at them. The speaker was so overwhelmed with the urge to share with her, that he told his interpreter they must stop.   They walked over to the woman and, through the interpreter, he asked if she had the time for him to share something with her.   She smiled and in perfect English replied, “I saw you coming from a great distance away and noticed you seemed to be in such a hurry.   I told myself that I would not say anything to you first, but would wait and see if whatever you were in such a hurry for, you would stop and share with a peasant woman.”   She then went on to explain that the she had been educated in the states and was a very successful business woman. The farm belonged to her parents and when she would come home to visit, she would share in the family chores. The speaker shared Jesus with her and she accepted Christ into her life at that moment and went on to be a huge help in opening many other doors in that region for missionaries to come in and work and share.

She waited to see if he would take the time to share with a peasant woman. Wow!!!   And by following God’s leading to stop and share, look how God used it to not only change this lady’s life, but to further His kingdom in amazing ways. Think of the missed blessings and opportunities if he had decided that they were, indeed, too busy to share with this peasant woman. What a different scenario it could have been!!!

You and I are often faced with those same decisions in our own day to day activities. We walk or drive by so many faces everyday. And sadly, if not very careful, we, too, can judge their worth of interaction by their outward appearances.   Let us never forget what scripture tells us in 1 Samuel 16:7, “Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”   If we are to have the eyes of Christ and seek to be missional Christians, then we must also look beyond the outward to the inward.    For when we do, we will see the hearts of those around us. We will sense their hurts, feel their needs and they in turn will find the compassion of the almighty in our smiles and in our touch. Every day we see our families, our co-workers, our neighbors and even strangers on the street. Every day we pass apartment complexes, boys and girls clubs, drive through neighborhoods and down busy streets. Every day we are faced with the realities of life. Don’t let our busy schedules or someone’s outward appearance keep us from sharing the most precious gift we have….the gift of Jesus!!!

Serving together,

Larry