Romans 14

So it's funny that I should end up here today. Brannon and I are being vegans this month, with the notable exception of Thanksgiving. Vegan just means no animal products at all including eggs and dairy. We're mainly just doing it for health reasons but I think it's funny that this chapter should use as its primary example whether or not you eat meat. I guess that was a pretty big deal back then since Paul has to mention it to several of the cities he writes to. And of course the whole dream with the unclean animals in a sheet that Peter had.

But the verse that really stands out to me is the one about not telling someone else's servant their business. I loathe that in myself. And that's such a good way to say it to remind me that whatever any other Christian is doing isn't my business. It's between them and God.

Today I saw my team leader, who I have known for almost seven years, get weepy for the first time ever. I mean, it's the first time I can recall ever witnessing her getting choked up. And it was about this very thing. She said she knew a mother whose 16-year-old daughter had suffered near fatal head injuries last year in a skiing accident. She had to have her skull removed because of the horrible swelling on her brain just to keep her alive. And although she was home finally, she had a long way to go to recover. One side affect is that she gets very car sick. So recently, her family had to drive to Tulsa. And to try to keep her as comfortable as possible, her mother say in the back and cradled her head in her hands to try to hold it still. Her father drove at 50 miles per hour, just barely over the minimum.

But for many miles, an irate woman in a big SUV honked and swerved and shook her fist at them for holding up traffic. Instead of anger, the mother just told my leader, "She just didn't know our story. She didn't know what precious cargo we were carrying."

And you know, we never know. Even for those who we think we know we don't really. Everyone should get the same grace and mercy we have been shown. And we must be the ones to show it. Even if it means a different menu, like in this chapter, or getting to Tulsa late, like in my boss' story. You just never know.

But He does. He knows all my junk and yet He loves me. And this marvelous mysterious love that has been lavished on us is the same thing we must pour out on others. Not with conditions. Not with some held back. Love from the fire hose like each of us gets from Him.