Eye Contact… Heart Contact

I was at Home Depot to buy some caulking. That was all.

I had some cracks in my driveway. The woman in front of me in the checkout line had a cart filled with paint supplies – brushes, sandpaper, masking tape, etc. The cashier glanced up at her and said, "Hi, how are you?" Without looking up the woman answered, "Fine"... as she unloaded her items one by one. The clerk scanned them, bagged them, and the woman walked away. Their eyes never met. It was my turn.

"So, how are you?" the checkout clerk asked monotonously, staring at the cash register. "Actually," I laughed, "I'm exhausted!" For the first time, the cashier abruptly looked up, smiled at me… and as our eyes met… she chuckled, "I'm tired, too. I've been working since 7am…" and it was 6:00PM. "Wow! That is a long day," I replied. "I've had a long day, too, and now I'm on my way home because my wife and I are babysitting two grandchildren tonight."

She laughed and said, "Maybe you should pick up a couple of Red Bulls on your way home!" I smiled..."Sounds like you have kids." "No," she said, "Just two cats but,” … and she paused… “someday I hope to." I told her not to worry… that when the time was right… she would have kids and she'd be a great mom. As she looked at me… her eyes were smiling… I laughed and said, "But the truth is, if you watched my grandkids tonight, you might choose to stay with your cats a while longer!" And then my transaction was done.

As I thanked her and started to walk away, I found myself smiling… and when I looked back over my shoulder… she was smiling, too, and chatting up a storm with the next person in line. What happened? Eye Contact… Heart Contact. Most people, when we ask them how they are, respond by saying, "Fine." And we let them get away with that because we all have places to go and things to do and other people to see.

We rush past opportunities to express God's love to those who matter so much to God.

In 2 Corinthians 2:14-15, the Apostle Paul said wherever we go, He (Jesus) uses us to tell others about the Lord and to spread the Good News like a sweet perfume. Our lives are a fragrance presented by Christ to God. (NLT)

Let me ask you a question: Do you smell like Jesus?

The Apostle is saying that Jesus had a fragrance about Him that made people want to be close to Him – it was called "Love!" They knew Jesus loved them and valued them because when they encountered Him, they experienced Eye Contact… Heart Contact. No one… not you… not me… will ever be a means to an end for Jesus. Jesus loved people more than His agenda… because His agenda was people!

Dottie is my 2 year old granddaughter who just got banned from the sandbox at preschool. Don't ask me why… Let's just say that she got more than her fair share of genes from Grandpa. (Smile). One of the things I love about Dottie is her refusal to be overlooked or ignored. If she wants to talk to me… like when I'm watching a ballgame… she will come up and say, "Excuse me! PawPaw… Excuse me!" And if I answer, "What Dottie?" without taking my eyes off the game… she will climb up into my lap, take my face in both her hands and say, "Look at me, PawPaw!" Then, when we've made eye contact… she will tell me what's on her heart. Even 2 year olds understand… Eye Contact...Heart Contact!

Listen… As a Go First leader in God's Church, our Vocational Purpose – regardless of what field it's in – will always be people first!

My prayer is… that as you and I stand in the checkout lines of our world… that we won't skim over the surface of relationships… that we won't allow our agendas to disconnect us from the person before us… that we will initiate Eye Contact...Heart Contact.

And smile as we hear people whispering, "Man, that guy/gal smells like Jesus!"

AMEN

Pastor Harry

I was at Home Depot to buy some caulking. That was all.

I had some cracks in my driveway. The woman in front of me in the checkout line had a cart filled with paint supplies – brushes, sandpaper, masking tape, etc. The cashier glanced up at her and said, "Hi, how are you?" Without looking up the woman answered, "Fine"... as she unloaded her items one by one. The clerk scanned them, bagged them, and the woman walked away. Their eyes never met. It was my turn.

"So, how are you?" the checkout clerk asked monotonously, staring at the cash register. "Actually," I laughed, "I'm exhausted!" For the first time, the cashier abruptly looked up, smiled at me… and as our eyes met… she chuckled, "I'm tired, too. I've been working since 7am…" and it was 6:00PM. "Wow! That is a long day," I replied. "I've had a long day, too, and now I'm on my way home because my wife and I are babysitting two grandchildren tonight."

She laughed and said, "Maybe you should pick up a couple of Red Bulls on your way home!" I smiled..."Sounds like you have kids." "No," she said, "Just two cats but,” … and she paused… “someday I hope to." I told her not to worry… that when the time was right… she would have kids and she'd be a great mom. As she looked at me… her eyes were smiling… I laughed and said, "But the truth is, if you watched my grandkids tonight, you might choose to stay with your cats a while longer!" And then my transaction was done.

As I thanked her and started to walk away, I found myself smiling… and when I looked back over my shoulder… she was smiling, too, and chatting up a storm with the next person in line. What happened? Eye Contact… Heart Contact. Most people, when we ask them how they are, respond by saying, "Fine." And we let them get away with that because we all have places to go and things to do and other people to see.

We rush past opportunities to express God's love to those who matter so much to God.

In 2 Corinthians 2:14-15, the Apostle Paul said wherever we go, He (Jesus) uses us to tell others about the Lord and to spread the Good News like a sweet perfume. Our lives are a fragrance presented by Christ to God. (NLT)

Let me ask you a question: Do you smell like Jesus?

The Apostle is saying that Jesus had a fragrance about Him that made people want to be close to Him – it was called "Love!" They knew Jesus loved them and valued them because when they encountered Him, they experienced Eye Contact… Heart Contact. No one… not you… not me… will ever be a means to an end for Jesus. Jesus loved people more than His agenda… because His agenda was people!

Dottie is my 2 year old granddaughter who just got banned from the sandbox at preschool. Don't ask me why… Let's just say that she got more than her fair share of genes from Grandpa. (Smile). One of the things I love about Dottie is her refusal to be overlooked or ignored. If she wants to talk to me… like when I'm watching a ballgame… she will come up and say, "Excuse me! PawPaw… Excuse me!" And if I answer, "What Dottie?" without taking my eyes off the game… she will climb up into my lap, take my face in both her hands and say, "Look at me, PawPaw!" Then, when we've made eye contact… she will tell me what's on her heart. Even 2 year olds understand… Eye Contact...Heart Contact!

Listen… As a Go First leader in God's Church, our Vocational Purpose – regardless of what field it's in – will always be people first!

My prayer is… that as you and I stand in the checkout lines of our world… that we won't skim over the surface of relationships… that we won't allow our agendas to disconnect us from the person before us… that we will initiate Eye Contact...Heart Contact.

And smile as we hear people whispering, "Man, that guy/gal smells like Jesus!"

AMEN

Pastor Harry