“And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward.” Matthew 10:42

Mondays are my day off. That doesn’t mean that I won’t pick up the phone or check my email; it just means I try to steer clear of ministry obligations and don’t typically schedule ministry related events on that day. Monday is my day to mow the lawn, catch up on the bills or even initiate a home improvement project. That unfortunate incident with the hammer drill? That was on a Monday.

So, yesterday I had a couple of ministry things that I just needed to do. First, at 8 AM I met with a very promising Associate Pastor candidate and we had a great conversation about potential roles, responsibilities, spiritual gifting, and life experiences. I came away from that meeting pretty pumped. And then Pam and I stopped by a GLCC family that we really, really wanted and needed to connect with. The wife had just had some major surgery and was now home, and we wanted to pray and encourage her and the family.

I didn’t begrudge either of these appointments, but come 12:30 or so, I was ready for my day-off to begin. Also, I was hungry. I was dreaming about a finely sliced deli ham sandwich with cheese and some fresh tomato, along with a big old pile of kettle cooked potato chips, a nice Claussen dill pickle, and maybe a tall glass of lemonade…hey, stop judging, I’m a simple guy and I was hungry!

Anyway, we were driving down Sudley Road by the Bull Run Shopping Center when we saw a minivan stopped in the right lane blocking traffic. It was starting to drizzle and the driver was out of the car, had a bewildered look on his face and was holding an empty plastic gas can. We were in the far left-hand lane making our turn onto Sudley Manor when Pam said, “We gotta help this guy out.”

Internally I sighed and thought, “All I really want is to sit on my porch and eat a ham sandwich. Is that too much to ask?” But I pushed that thought away and dutifully swung a U-turn. We fought our way back through red lights and traffic to get to the minivan. As we pulled behind the stalled vehicle, the first thing I noticed was that it had New Jersey plates. The owner walking with the gas can was about 20 yards away getting ready to cross the busy intersection. Pam called him back and he gratefully climbed into the back seat with his gas can.

As we traveled to the gas station and back again, his story unfolded. He, his wife and two children had just moved from New Jersey to Centreville. The kids were lonely but adjusting well to school. He was a contractor who was bidding a job in Manassas when the gas ran out. He laced his story with “God bless you” and “God is good” in the beautiful lilting accent of West Africa.

I said, “You talk like a man who knows Jesus.”

“Yes, I do.” He said… and boom, just like that, an instant bond formed which occurs when two believers meet. It’s the Holy Spirit bearing witness in each of us that we are one in Christ (Romans 8:16).

He thanked us profusely…like 100 times. We exchanged business cards and went our way. As we drove back home, it occurred to me that I had almost traded this awesome experience for a ham sandwich. The amazing thing is, I still got my ham sandwich, it was just a half hour later than I had planned. Twenty-nine years of pastoral ministry and I’m still learning how to surrender my agenda to Jesus! The sacrifices He asks us to make are so small in light of eternity. Embrace God’s kingdom values and then hang on. A life in Christ is worth the ride!