the parable of the taxi driver

During my recent adventures, I got to do something I've yet to do: ride in a taxi. And during this taxi ride, I was reminded of what God desperately wants from us.

but first.....

I would like to acknowledge that I AM the person who

tries to get to know my waitress while dining at a restaurant

and I AM the person who talks to the cashier at the grocery;

I have been made fun of for all this but now you'll see why...

As I buckled my seatbelt, the taxi driver turned to me and asked if the music he was playing was ok to play with me in the vehicle or if I'd like him to change it. He was playing southern gospel, my pappy would have been proud.

Now I mean no offense or harm but "I saw the light", "In the sweet by and by" and "when I get to heaven" aren't exactly what tickles my musical taste buds; but I saw the heart behind this taxi driver, HE didn't want to offend ME.

It was clear this man and I were going to have an interesting time while together because I could barely understand him and I think he couldn't understand me at all. (all this time I thought I didn't have a southern accent...) At some point during the ride it came up that I work for Christ for the Nations Institute, and as I'm learning, here in the Christian communities in Texas people are well aware of CFNI.

He asked what I do ("do you have a title or importance?") and I said that I worked getting international students in the country to attend CFNI and keeping all their paperwork to KEEP them here. To be honest, I wasn't even sure if this man heard me considering he was BELTING out every lyric that played; but oh he heard me. He became overjoyed and said "that's GREAT that's GREAT! God will bless you for helping people come here". 

I asked this man if he attended a church and he said that he and his family went to an Indian Pentecostal Church. (now that's a first, ever heard of one of those?!)

Something my parents have started doing is asking

their server at restaurants if there is anything they can

pray for them about. So in this moment, I felt

led to ask this taxi driver if there was anything

I could pray for him about.

You know what he said? He had failed the bar exam and was taking it again in July.

Did you hear that? 

This taxi driver was an educated man who went to

 law school in India and was taking the bar exam again

 to practice law here in Texas.

you don't know ANYTHING about someone

until you ask.

EVERYONE has a dream,

and like you & I,

EVERYONE has spent

time doing something that wasn't

their "dream" during the waiting

period.

The story ends with me praying for this man right there 

in his car, and as I prayed for him

it was precious to me that he began

to cry out to God in both his

native tongue and in English.

So make fun of me for talking to my waiter,  or the cashier or the nail tech.

But if we don't show the Love of God, who will?

If we don't pause our daily lives to inquire about others,

are we showing the Love of Christ?

"no one has ever seen God,

but if we love one another,

God lives in us and His love

is made complete in us"

1 John 4:12