Correct in Gentleness

I will never forget this one time I was in San Francisco touring the city with a friend of mine who lives out Jesus in his neighborhood. He is such a passionate guy. He took us through all the streets and showed us all the shops and all the people he so desperately was praying to reach for Christ. I remember at some point my focus was lost. Not because I didn't love God or people, but because I seriously had to go to the bathroom. As he described in detail his heart for San Francisco, tears filled his eyes. Tears were in my eyes as well, but for me the reason was much different....my bladder was about to explode. But here is the thing about San Fransisco. There are very few public restrooms. Hardly any restaurants have them and the only restrooms that are available for use are these weird booth things. They look like something off of a B-rated Sci-Fi flick. I spotted a blue men/women's universal restroom sign off in the distance about (200 feet) and approached it a brisk pace and reached for the handle of the door........but here's the deal. There was no handle. How in the world do you open the door. I pushed and pulled but still the door didn't open. I even clapped...(maybe it was clapper activated). Didn't work. I then noticed hundreds of passers by looking at me, laughing at me...I looked like such a tourist. I felt so out of place, I just wanted to be home, someplace where there were normal handles on bathrooms doors, a place where bathrooms didn't look like metal space ships. I mustered up the courage to try again as the people who saw my first attempt had now passed me by...... no luck. I still couldn't figure it out. Now on top of this extreme pressure to use the restroom, I felt like a complete idiot. I didn't even know how to use the bathroom....More people past by casting their judgemental glances and giggles. Then it happened, out of the corner of my eye my friend approached and the other 4 guys that we were touring the city with. All of them had this solemn look on their faces as my friend was discussing some deep theological truth. All of these guys were ministry veterans, Godly men, wise and strong. Here I was standing in the midst of them, a complete moron who doesn't even know how to use the bathroom. I was terrified to ask for help, so I thought I would try the door one more time before they engaged me in conversation about why I had ran away from them a couple hundred feet back. I pushed and pulled but nothing happened. It was official now.....the lot was cast, my colleagues saw me, I was a complete failure. A silly kid who doesn't belong in the city, doesn't belong with men like these. My friend kindly smiled and asked, "are you ok, Jason?" I wanted to just cry. For the first time in this experience I realized I was completely helpless. I kind of kept my head down and softly said, "I can't open the door." I braced myself for the other guys jokes and for my friends judgement. "I know, these restrooms are so crazy" my friend said as he pulled out a dollar from his pocket. He placed the dollar in this little slot that looked similar to a coke machine. He reached over and slid the door open for me and said, "Go on in" .......and so I did and from that moment on my friend was my hero.

You know my friend didn't just help me get into the spaceship style, got to pay to use, San Francisco restroom that day , he extending grace, kindness and patience. He gently corrected my error and set me off in the right direction. I learned so much from that experience. You see many people are wondering around with needs a lot more serious that needing to use the restroom. They are trying to open doors without knowing how, people are walking by with all the right answers but are too busy or don't care enough to stop and help. Where are you in the story. If you are like me, I have been every character at some time or another. Maybe one day I am the guy with needs, all alone. Other days I play the roll of the passer-by too busy to care, and then other days, I get to play the role of my friend. The one with kindness, mercy, the one who corrects with gentleness.

Take some time to read II Tim. 2:14-26. Take a look at Paul's description of the Lord's bond-servant. in vs. 24-26. This is some great advise to you and me. I pray that you all get opportunities to extent grace, mercy and correction with gentleness today.