How I Was Schooled by the Door-to-Door Evangelists

God speaks.

Often, God speaks through someone to whom you do not wish to listen.

Today, God spoke to me with a clear reminder:
It is never enough to live for myself.  My everyday choices have a direct and future impact on my relationship with God and the lives of others. My actions will absolutely come to bear on whether I will one day be joyfully fulfilled, or empty and alone.

About a year ago, Aaron and I felt convicted that we should start living more simply. We are constantly aware that we have been abundantly blessed. Sure, we work for what we have, but this does not mean it belongs to us. Without regard to any real merit, God has filled our lives with good things.This being the case, it became increasingly difficult to justify our indulgent lifestyle. After spending the first few years of our marriage going on awesome dates and doing ridiculous amount of shopping, we realized that these mind-numbing activities had gained very little for ourselves or anyone else. Who did we think we were, living this way when there were many left with so little? We were being snobby and spoiled. We do not need clothes overflowing our drawers, 20 pairs of shoes, a big screen television or two brand new cars.So, we committed to give more, and take less.

Unfortunately, the commitment to live beyond the direction of my own whims sometimes proves difficult. This morning, as I was fumbling through the usual tasks (dishes, laundry, eating cookies, etc.), I found myself in an terrible mood. When God calls a person (ie- THIS GIRL) to be less self-centered, living in NOVA has a special way of making the choice difficult. This is the land where jobs are still available, money might as well grow on trees, and everyone seems constantly to be competing. People tend to believe things go sort of like this:
More money/stuff = more important person.
The NOVA richies have a lot of money with which to flaunt their "importance." Sometimes, I struggle not to get sucked into the competition. I want to wave my arms and yell, "Hey! I'm important too!" I guess no one likes to be reminded that they are not the center of the universe. Sometimes I do not see how the choice to live simply is helping anyone. Some days, in my weakness, living simply is just annoying. I feel like my small efforts do little good and are basically pointless. Thus, the bad mood and extra cookie consumption.

So, I had just finished my shower, and was busy throwing a little pity party for myself.
God, really? This isn't doing much anyways. Why can't I just act like a regular NOVA person?
Pout pout pout.
I was about to put Jack down for a nap when there was a knock on the door.
I was not planning to answer. Then, I realized that  I did not remember if the door was locked and I was worried the knocker might be the creepy "Clean Water" peddler from a few weeks ago, returned to break in and steal my faucets or something. So I went downstairs and peeked out the blinds.

Time for the truth: I have never enjoyed encounters with door-to-door evangelists. Baptists, Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses - it makes no difference. It all means the same thing: I now have to take time out of my day to stand on my porch and have an awkward conversation with people I do not know. At best, this has always annoyed me:
Please don't preach to me. I'm a Christian. I'm familiar with the Bible and I go to church. If your views match up with mine, you're preaching to the choir. If they don't, you aren't likely to change my mind by asking me to stand on my door step while my dog is barking and my child needs to be put down for a nap.
At worst, the encounters peak my anxiety and sort of terrify me. Often, I stand just behind the door, heart pounding, cheeks flushed, hoping that whoever is on the other side will not convince me to open the door. 

Standing there in the cold drizzle were two older women. I paused.

I bet they'll go away in a minute.

They did not go away. They knocked again.

Ok. I'll open the door. Maybe someone lost their cat.

I opened the door.

"Hello!" one woman said. "We're visiting people in the neighborhood because we feel that people have very little hope."

NO! You were supposed to be a cat lady with flyers and a distressed face! WHY did I open the door?

"The world has a lot of heartache, and corruption seems to be everywhere. Do you think that the world will always be this way?"

Oh jeez, God. You're going to educate me through an uncomfortable front porch discussion?
*Mentally stomps foot*

"No, I don't believe the world will be corrupt forever."

"That's great! You're exactly correct! Do you know why?"

*Quick glance at the book she is holding.*
Sweet. A Bible. I can pass this test.
"I believe that Christ will return, and he will bring an end to corruption, sorrow, pain and injustice." Whoa. Speaking that out loud was actually a little jolt of espresso for my soul. Hmm.

"That is wonderful to hear. Your thinking is exactly in line with the Bible!"

Yeah I realize that. I'm pretty familiar with the Bible. Grumble grumble.
 *Mentally kicks the air.*

"I just wanted to show you this verse."
As one woman distracted Jack long enough for me to listen, the other woman opened her Bible to Psalm 37:11-13, and read aloud to me,

"But the meek shall inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant peace. The wicked plots against the righteous and gnashes his teeth at him, But the Lord laughs at the wicked, for he sees that his day is coming."

Her voice was sweet and soothing, like my grandmother's voice. In spite of my best efforts to hold God at arms length, He was speaking. Through a stranger on my front porch, He was encouraging me. In place of my bad mood, I immediately felt happy and at peace. The words reminded me that my day-to-day lifestyle does matter. There absolutely will be an end to the way things are now, and when that end comes, it will matter that I have lived for God and His people instead of for my own selfish whims.

The women themselves were also a testament to the selflessness I should more purposefully emulate. Here I was, pitying myself because God refuses to turn a blind eye to my selfishness. But I had peddled around the house all morning doing nothing important. These women should have been inside by a fire, drinking tea and taking some extra vitamins to ward off the fall spurt of colds. Instead, they were bundled up, walking an unfamiliar neighborhood to smilingly encourage people they had never met. They were not deterred by the weather or by my barking dog. Their act of service left me newly humbled.

"Thank you so much for letting us share some encouragement with you. Before we go, is there anything we could leave you with?"

"No," I said. "Thank you so much for sharing with the folks in our neighborhood. This was exactly what I needed to hear this morning."

They smiled and moved on to the next house, and I returned to the task of putting Jack down for his nap.

I'm overwhelmed that God would speak so pointedly to me, precisely when I needed it. I am reminded again today not only that there is no room for selfishness in my life, but that God speaks. Often. If my discomfort with strangers had prevented me from opening the door, I would not have received His encouragement.

The whole experience reminds me of Proverbs 3:27. Here it is:

"Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it."

Since every human being is a creation of the same God, I'm pretty positive God intends for us show good to everyone.  Do not withhold good, ever. In the case of the girl who is not so sure she wants to go on living simply - do not keep for yourself what you do not need when the needs of others are many. I have been totally schooled by the door-to-door evangelists that were supposed to be cat ladies. I want to be more like them.

-Meg