A Surprise Gooey Center

Proverbs 25:21 “If you see your enemy hungry, go buy him lunch; if he's thirsty, bring him a drink. Your generosity will surprise him with goodness, and God will look after you.”

I love gum.  I often forget to bring my own gum with me when I go somewhere.  A few of the kids at the youth center are always happy to share a piece of theirs.  One day, a visiting kid offered me a piece of gum.  I hadn’t asked for any but I thought it a nice gesture and accepted.  I really wasn’t paying attention the gum itself and popped it in my mouth.  I bit into it and was very surprised to get a gush of very strong flavored goo.  It surprised me because I wasn’t used to that in gum at all but it was a good surprise.  It’s now one of my favorite types of gum.  Most of us have grown to expect the usual behavior from people.  It doesn’t deviate too much from person to person.  When you get someone who acts differently than what you except, it’s surprising and catches your attention.  Be a good surprising burst of flavor to people.  Instead of zooming by someone who is waiting for all the cars to pass so they can cross the street, stop and let them run across.  Wave at them and smile.  You know what would surprise me??  It would surprise me if I saw someone alone in their car driving and actually smiling.  Nobody smiles when they’re alone in their car.  Their face is always grim looking.  Have a different attitude other than the one the world pushes on you.  Be that surprise gooey center and snap people out of the same old interactions.  Once you’ve captured their attention, you can direct that attention off yourself and let them know who it is that makes you so different (Jesus).

Romans 12:1 “Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.”