INTERSECTED MOMENTS

Jeremiah 6:16 – God’s Message yet again, “Go stand at the crossroads and look around. Ask for directions to the old road, the tried and true road. Then take it. Discover the right route for your souls. But they said, ‘Nothing doing. We aren’t going that way.’ (The Message)

When I think of the crossroads in this passage of Jeremiah, I think of intersected moments. What are intersected moments? Much like obeying the laws of the road, we meet life at an intersected point where time stands still for a moment. It’s where we get to be a blessing or a curse, a help or a hindrance in the lives of those with whom we intersect. At a busy intersection, for example, there’s no time to rationalize who gets the right of way when both vehicles arrive in the same instant, but it has the potential to speak volumes to the one bestowed the courtesy of being given the right of way.

In an intersected moment, we make the decision to stand up for what we believe or fall for what is acceptable. Here’s a true scenario. What would you have done? The screams were incessant throughout the grocery store. Up one aisle and down another, you could hear the cries of two little ones who refused to be comforted or bribed. They looked just as whipped as their frazzled mother, as she approaches the check out. She laid her purchases on the conveyor belt and fumbled in her massive purse for her wallet. Practically everything from this weighted bag got displayed on the counter much to the annoyance of the impatient customers in line. The woman was so apologetic to the peeved clerk as she counted out her cash explaining she only came in for baby formula, diapers, children’s cough syrup and a few items for dinner. Moans and groans turned to exasperation as the hope of her turning up her wallet produced a few dollars shy of her final bill.

QUICK – you’re behind this woman in line; what do you do? My friend quietly took out her wallet and handed the difference to the clerk. She gave this woman a warm smile and a touch on the arm for encouragement. And once the grateful young mother was bagged and gone, my friend graciously warded off criticism from the clerk and the person in line behind her. Without skipping a beat, she said, “I’m sure you would have done the same.” Would you?

Intersected moments come in many forms. Some are as obvious as being a blessing in a scenario like the one above; some moments aren’t so blaring. My friend could have reacted with criticism, but choose in the moment to respond with grace and wisdom. Even if she had had a bad day before meeting this mom at this intersection of life, she chose to set aside her flesh and get on board with God’s agenda.

Intersected moments aren’t always going to lead to favorable outcomes. Circumstances and life happen. People will continue to want more from your good intentions. Your kind gestures may go unnoticed, but as Mother Teresa once said of our response to such things, “do it anyway.” You will get the one-finger salute from irate drivers in rush-hour traffic; pray for them anyway. You may be publicly humiliated by an obnoxious co-worker; speak graciously anyway. Your child may give you more verbal objection than you’re willing to handle; act in love anyway. Remember, God’s Word tells us, “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone” (Romans 12:18).

Intersected moments are never about us though they operate with us in mind. These moments give us the option to either care about or judge someone who may have a hard time caring about themselves in the moment. I wasn’t expecting to intersect with a homeless man in the pharmacy store parking lot. My knee-jerk reaction would have been to turn him away. My past experiences in working for a homeless shelter said do not give him money under any circumstance. But when I looked into his eyes and heard him say he was only seventeen years old, I was faced with a choice. My heart responded to him like a mother would to her lost child. “Baby, are you okay?” and “Please take care of yourself, okay” were seasoned with “yes, ma’am” from this motherless child. He needed desperately to intersect with a mom; I chose to be that woman for that moment.

Have you had an intersected moment lately? If you handled it well, I pray God give you more. If you haven’t fared well, I pray God crosses your path again with someone who would benefit from your gracious intersection.