I'M DREAMING OF A CHEESEBURGER
“God’s great mercy to the unsaved is surpassed only by His mercy to the saved.”
1Co 13:1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.
It was a hot summer afternoon as I drove into a bustling city not far from my home. The heat didn’t bother me as I enjoyed the comfort of my air-conditioned car. I noticed a homeless man sitting with a sign that offended me. “I’M DREAMING OF A CHEESEBURGER” I blurted out, “DREAM ON BUDDY!” Of course he didn’t hear me because my windows were up to protect me from the heat. I was offended because there he SAT dreaming when he should have been up working so he could buy his own cheeseburger! He was suggesting that I or any other passerby ought to run right over to the burger joint and bring him back a free meal! HA!
Have you ever said about someone, “But for the grace of God, there go I ?” Sadly, that did not cross my mind in that moment. The greater tragedy than a middle aged man sitting dependent on the mercy of passing people, was a Christian, not to mention a pastor, that could not even give the poor fellow the time of day, only a seething judgmental thought! I BLEW IT! I missed the opportunity of a lifetime to share the love of Christ with a lonely, hurting man. I am really ashamed of myself for being calloused instead recognizing that if God was not my Father, I could be homeless and penniless too! The conviction came too late, I never saw the man again. It is not enough to give them a sandwich, we need to give them the Gospel of the Savior and Lord Jesus Christ! Brother, Sister, if we don’t show love and mercy to those who don’t know the Lord, the really hurting people, then what in the world are we here for?
Every blessing!
—Tom