Tonight, I had an experience that really tested what was in my heart. It was just another example of the new heart that God has put within me and how he truly has changed me, how He changes us when we accept Him into our hearts and belong to Him.
My boyfriend Ram and I decided to try out a new restaurant tonight on the beach near my house. When we arrived, the person at the front, who appeared to be the manager, came up to us. We motioned where we would like to be seated and he swiftly and somewhat rudely turned us aside to the opposite side of the restaurant. It seemed very strange to me and I could feel something wrong with his action but was not able to quite put my finger on just what was going on.
Our service throughout the meal was very good as was the food and the view of the ocean. It was a wonderful night together as we shared our food and thoughts. However, toward the end of the meal, or the perceived end of the meal on the part of the manager, we were told we would need to leave soon. We were brought the check earlier than is normal during a meal. The manager himself came over twice to see if we had paid the bill yet, on the second occasion telling us that there was a reservation for the table and we needed to leave. (This did not seem to be the kind of restaurant that would even take reservations.) We were rushed and could not even relax during the remainder of the meal. We finally paid the bill and just got up and left.
At first I did not realize what was going on, but as we walked away from the restaurant I began to understand. It dawned on me that he did not like us and that there was a feeling of racism very present each time we had an encounter with this man. I had never been in a situation like this before so at first I was not sure how to react. My initial feelings were of surprise, shock and anger. We were already down the street at the time when we decided we needed to say something to the manager. Ram walked back to the restaurant and I waited and watched nearby. We were there quite a while and no one came to sit at the table we had been made to leave. In fact, another couple was seated in the original area we had wanted to sit in, but were made clear we were not allowed to sit in.
Sitting there watching them talk, I had a peace come over me and began to sing songs in praise of God. Often, singing can be a most sacred prayer for me. God had taken away any anger I felt at the situation and replaced it with peace and love. In my heart, God spoke of the need to pray for this man. There was nothing to be angry at. He was simply a lost soul, someone who does not, at present, know the love of our Lord. When Ram returned, we prayed together for this man, filled with only God's love in our hearts.
When we have God's love in us, we love one another. We love people because He loves us and loves them and His love so fills our hearts.
I am learning what it really means to be a servant of Jesus Christ, what it really means to be a Christian and to walk with the Lord. It is so completely different than the experience of being in the world. To know God and to be filled with His Love is to be renewed, transformed and completely changed. Before belonging to Christ, one is lost, hopeless. foolish and ignorant to the truth of Life. Although, one does not always realize this until being saved, until being held in the arms of Christ. We are His children and He loves us with an unwavering, unmoving, unshakeable and unconditional Love. Nothing in the world will ever fill us or complete us but Him. He is all we've ever needed. His Love endures through all things, strengthens us and wakes us up spiritually to the Truth of Life and all the beauty He has intended for us to have.
We must pray for our enemies (or those who are ignorant, foolish, wicked, souls lost in darkness, souls without the love of God in them). We must love our neighbors. Through God's eyes, we see the truth. With love, we overcome all. For God has overcome the world. He has saved us and we shall pray that others will be filled with God's love as well.
And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these. Mark 12:29-31 KJV
