“Dixie! Dixie!!!” My neighbor leaned out the window of his F350, slowly cruising through the neighborhood. “Have you seen my dog?”
I was putting the rest of my gear into the 4Runner. “No…but what kind of dog is she?”
“A three year old chocolate lab.”
“Give me your number and address and I will let you know if I find her.”
Ready to jump into action to find Ms. Dixie.
I feel like my reaction is similar to how the majority would respond – a willingness to jump into “get it done” mode, with the thing to get done being finding a missing pup. There’s an element of purpose that suddenly rises up with mettle to get the job done and to come to the aid of someone in trouble. There is a perceived need, and we want to help. Innate to our human nature, or not, the majority of us will drop what we’re doing, even if only for a few minutes, and look around for the dog. Even if it’s just around our house, we’ll spend just a few minutes looking for the dog, but then keep an eye out for the rest of the day. Funny, isn’t it?
For a dog.
In a world filled with the broken, the lost and the hurting, do we even take the time to look around our “house?” We get all sorts of excited to help find the “Dixies” of the world, yet don’t give much thought to finding our neighbors. So many lost, living right next door, and we’re not even seeking them out. Willingly looking past the needs of others to get on with our daily tasks and that which makes us feel best.
May the Lord give you an increasing burden and joy in reaching the lost around you with the gospel!