Dear Woodland Hills Family,

For the last 3 years I’ve been cultivating a relationship with a man who’s been renting a building I own. I’ve had the opportunity to share the Good News with him on a few occasions. He is not at all receptive, but I am praying that in time he will give his life to the Lord Jesus.

Not long ago our relationship hit a pretty big bump. He moved out and left the place in very poor condition. The repairs have ended up costing me quite a bit of money. He admits he is at fault but refuses to reimburse me for my costs.

If I were to take him to small claims court I feel confident I would prevail. I mentioned this to him, but he hasn’t changed his position in the matter.

So… what to do? Here are some of the things I’ve been thinking about:

*  First off, our year verse keeps running through my head:  Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven. The question that keeps pressing itself in this situation with this individual is, How can I show good works to this person that will give him a reason to glorify my Father in heaven?

*  Secondly, it is pretty clear to me that if I take him to court our relationship will be over.  Is the money worth that?

*  Thirdly, I’ve had this thought:  Would I be willing to spend this same amount of money if I could be assured it would result in saving this man from a Christ-less eternity? My immediate answer is, “Of course!  That would be the deal of the century!”  And then the follow-up question:  Is he so valuable that I’d make that kind of investment even without the guarantee?

I’d be interested to know what you think.

Blessings

The would-be robber looked at his would-be victim, “Like what’s going on here?” Diaz says. “He asked me, ‘Why are you doing this?’” Diaz replied: “‘If you’re willing to risk your freedom for a few dollars, then I guess you must really need the money. I mean, all I wanted to do was get dinner and if you … want to join me … hey, you’re more than welcome.’ You know, I just felt maybe he really needs help,” Diaz says.

Diaz says he and the teen went into the diner and sat in a booth. Diaz asked him what he wanted out of life. “He just had … a sad face,” Diaz says. The teen couldn’t answer Diaz – or he didn’t want to. When the bill arrived, Diaz told the teen, “Look, I guess you’re going to have to pay for this bill ’cause you have my money and I can’t pay for this. So if you give me my wallet back, I’ll gladly treat you.”

The teen “didn’t even think about it” and returned the wallet, Diaz says. “I gave him $20 … I figure maybe it’ll help him. I don’t know.” Diaz says he asked for something in return–the teen’s knife–”and he gave it to me.” *

What motivated Julio Diaz that night? Could it have been Jesus’ words, “Let your light shine before men…”?

There will probably be a situation in your life today that will afford you the opportunity to surprise someone with grace and kindness. You might not be mugged with a knife, but someone may stab you with a harsh tone or degrading words. You might not be robbed of your cash, but someone may steal your time. Your reputation may be the object of someone’s assault.

And then you will have the opportunity to surprise someone with grace, kindness, gentle words, or Christ-like compassion.

“Let your light shine… that they may glorify your Father who is in heaven.”

Blessings,