I see a variety of people every day at work, and I try to give the best possible customer service.  It is usually a very successful venture, because most people are easy to help and easy to please.  However..there are always those who will take that desire to help and make it a nearly impossible situation because they’re having a bad day, or miscommunication, or something else.

However, today was a day when loving and serving really did stink.  We have a couple of regulars who just don’t know or are not able to attend to hygiene, and I had them all today.  One of them in particular is a favorite of mine, because he is so good natured and always thanks me…I’ll call him Jim for privacy.  Jim is in his seventies, has COPD and I think mostly lives in shelters or his car.  And while he is never clean..hair, beard, or clothes, some days he’s a 10 on the odor smell.  Today was one of those and it was really hard to take his order and stay in his “space” without being physically ill.  When I delivered his food I was again challenged.  

AND YET!  In spite of his physical uncleanness, he has a much worse problem..he has no personal relationship with Jesus..and he is far dirtier spiritually than he ever will be physically!  I love Jim, and I treat him with dignity and respect..because that’s exactly how Jesus see him!  Jim is a self titled “everythingist”..he believes everyone is going to heaven no matter their belief..and if I am to have any hope of sharing Jesus with him I have to be willing to work through the dirt and odor so he can hear the Truth.

And why?  Because Jesus looks at all of us, before we accept him, the same way He does Jim!  I was dirty, lost, smelling of sin and pride and the dirt of this world, and He looked past all that, reached down, and saved me!  So next time you find yourself where love and/or witnessing really stinks, praise the Lord for His goodness to you and press on!