The Lady with the Warts

I had a profound spiritual experience at McDonald’s the other day.

While I was recently speaking at a Kids Camp, I snuck away to get a Big Mac.

I walked up to the counter and was taken back by the lady taking my order. Her face and arms were covered with warts. She smiled, made eye contact, and was very professional.

As she handed me my bag of food, I had an embarrassing thought, “I hope she didn’t touch my food.” I’m a pastor and I know that I shouldn’t have thoughts like that, but I did.

Then for a moment, I saw her from a different perspective. I saw her through the Lord’s eyes.

I thought about the battle she faced every day when she woke up as she tried to avoid the mirror. She puts on her uniform, for a not so great job, and greets her customers with a smile whether she gets one back or not. Instead of seeing her warts, I saw her character.

Let’s think about the kids in your class for a moment. Are there some that you secretly wish did not attend? Are there some kids you would kick out if you could? It may be the boy that tries to take over every week, or it may even be the pastor’s kid.

Many times the kid who is always challenging authority does so because he or she wants to lead. Is there a productive way to channel their leadership? Can you ask them for suggestions on how to do things better?

If you can get the peer leaders on your side it is worth the effort.

So I want to challenge you to look past the warts. Look past their behavior and think about life from their perspective. Ask the Holy Spirit to let you see them through the Lord’s eyes.