This past weekend, I followed my husband, Rod, up to Kerr Lake to serve at a children’s fishing tournament. The Outdoor Ministry at our church was in charge of the weigh-in and I assisted Rod in weighing in fish of all small sizes, much to the delight of the children. 

On my way home, I decided to stop at a Dollar General I had passed earlier because we needed, well, Toilet paper! It was in a small town and right on the road so it was very convenient. I browsed around the store, gathered my toilet paper; and headed to the register where I stood in line behind an elderly man. He had a cart full of drinks and snacks. He apologized for being slow and I assured him that I was in no hurry. Then he commenced to tell me the reason for his drinks and snacks. It seemed his church was having a grand celebration the following day. He was excited that many friends and family were coming and the choir would be the biggest it had ever been! He couldn’t contain his excitement and he loved telling me all about it. 

Afterward, I thought about the man’s excitement about the church service he was anticipating. Then I thought about myself. Do I get really excited about attending church? When was the last time I just HAD to tell someone? And when was the last time I was so excited about the Good News of Jesus Christ nothing could stop me from sharing my story? The man in line didn’t care if I wanted to hear his story or not (I did!). He shared it anyway. In my day to day life, do I share the excitement of all things Jesus with others?

Too often, we take what we know and experience for granted. Christianity is the most persecuted religion in the world. Approximately 1 in 12 Christians live in countries where they can’t worship or read their Bibles openly. In our country, hostility is increasing toward Christians but presently, I don’t fear attending church or reading my Bible. I don’t fear telling others about the Bible study I attend or what I’m learning. I don’t fear writing on this blog or posting my “Monday Motivation”. During the day to day life I live, I sometimes become complacent about my faith and love for Jesus Christ. And, I forget how special it can be to meet with other believers to praise our Lord, Jesus!

We should all be like the “Dollar General Man”. Jesus Christ has given us ample reason to be. The fact that he saved us from the punishment we deserve for our sins should be all the reason we need to get excited. We need to be thankful, and eager and ready to go and worship! We need to be excited about what God has done for us and be ready to tell others whenever and wherever we get the opportunity. Others should be able to see our excitement. Even in the Dollar General.

© 2019 Robin R King

Psalm 122:1 (NLT)