The Man Against the Wall
As I was walking from the parking lot toward my
office building one morning, I noticed a man up ahead leaning
against a building. He appeared to be looking out into the street
and talking. No one was near him, so I was curious as to whom he was
talking. Was he crazy? Was he preaching a “fire and brimstone”
message” to whomever would stop to provide him an audience? Because
I would soon be crossing the street once the crosswalk light turned
green, I knew it wouldn’t be long before I heard for myself what he
was saying.
As I got closer to him, the man appeared to be in
his late 20's, early 30's. He was fairly clean looking in his casual
clothes, and he continued looking straight ahead and talking to no
one in particular as I approached him. Since my first reaction was
that he was a “crazy” person, my initial tendency was to snicker
about what he was doing and to make fun of him in my heart. I
immediately caught myself and decided, instead, to feel sympathy for
him. Usually tough circumstances bring people to this mode of
behavior. As I passed him, I wondered if he’d stop speaking, but he
didn’t. “I gave you everything I had to give you....” were the words
I heard as I passed by him. I didn’t catch any more, but it was
enough. I automatically assumed he was talking to a woman who had
left him. He obviously didn’t understand why she would have done
that. Instead of snickering, I prayed within my heart that God would
give him comfort and peace of mind. Whatever had happened to him, it
had brought him to a very sad and troubled state.
“Lord, You know the condition of this man’s life and
heart. You know what has brought him to this place in his life. I
pray that the circumstances of this man leaning against the wall
would draw him to You, rather than away. Use them, Lord, to
accomplish your will in his life. May you get the victory, Lord,
instead of the demons that have taken over this man’s mind.”
We all have choices to make when things don’t go our
way. We can let them get to us, wear us down and make us bitter,
often taking us to a depression out of which it’s difficult to
climb. Like this man, we may feel against a wall from which there is
no escape. Or, we can thank the Lord for the trials, seek His help
through the circumstances, and let Him have victory over of the
situation.
Top |
