Today I Saw Jesus

Philippians 2:3-7.  "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness."

Today I say those verses being lived out.  I saw men, women, teens and children allowing themselves to be used by God, doing things for others in love, no strings attached.  I saw it in big and small ways.  A group of men and boys going to rake leaves.  People claiming all 150 "angels" off the Angel Tree - meaning 150 gifts being purchased for the children of prisoners.  A young man volunteering his Sunday afternoon to work on my car free of charge.  People committing to another 85 gifts being purchased to fill our church's "Christmas Store" - a  place where low-income families can shop for their children's Christmas gifts for pennies on the dollar...and when the 'tags' for those gifts were gone, funds were donated.  Someone I met just a few short months ago quietly, unexpectedly, slipped me some much needed funds.  And a group of 25 or so teens and adults worked for 12 hours to prepare, serve and clean up one of the most delicious Thanksgiving dinners ever, for local shelter residents. 

Each served in their own way - sacrificing time, treasure, and talent without selfish ambition.  Each was the hands and feet of Jesus, putting the interests of others before their own.  As a result, people were and will be blessed in the receiving AND the giving. 

Today, I saw Jesus...and it filled me with joy.