Kristen looked up and saw little Bart coming out of the gas station with his runny nose, kicking pebbles and drinking a pop. Oh how she hoped he wouldn’t see her.
She ducked her head and walked a little quicker. He was about 20 feet behind her. Maybe she would get lucky and not be seen.
Bart was a fifth grader at the center where she worked with at-risk youth. And Bart was a challenge. He was rude. He smelled bad. He wiped his runny nose with his hand.
Kristen! She heard his voice. No such luck at not being seen.
Before she could even respond, he grabbed her hand and said he’d walk with her. Her first thought went to his hand full of dried slime.
He swung Kristen’s hand as they walked. She looked at the rough and snarly boy, and he smiled a big smile at her. That’s when it hit her. That’s when she heard Jesus crying out, “Kristen, it’s me!”
Earlier that morning she’d read a passage in Matthew where Jesus talked about how to treat one another. He described how someday he would gather everyone together to accountability. He would thank those who responded to him for feeding the hungry, for offering a drink, for inviting strangers, for clothing the naked, for caring for the sick, and for visiting the prisoners.
And when the person says, “I don’t remember doing those things for you.” Jesus will say, “I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of my people, you did for me.”
Looking at dirty, stinky little Bart, Kristen was sure she heard Jesus say, “It’s me!”
We all have little Barts in our lives. Some might be the last people with whom we want to spend time, but they still need our love and kindness. Some of us are going through a drought of love right now, feeling like we have nothing else to give. That’s why we need to reconnect, and seek to stay connected to Jesus, despite our own desires to turn or run away. As we fill with the mind of Jesus, we can pass this on.
Who is your little Bart today? Where might you find Jesus where you least expect to see him?
In service with you,
Mark E.
(Adapted from McKee)
To speak to Pastor Mark phone 605-226-1279 or e-mail nhumc@nvc.net.
