Posted November 11, 2010 By Amanda Conner
In your family are you the tour guide or the travel agent?
Recently I was taking my kids to get something to eat after a hard day at the church. I wasn’t really interested in talking my husband Jason wasn’t with us and I just didn’t want to think. So we ended up at the old classic KFC. While we sat down to eat the kids began to tell me about their day and prompted conversation out of me. But while they continued to talk I took notice of a man in the corner of the restaurant who wasn’t eating just sitting. It was obvious that he was in a struggle since his clothes were filthy and his hair a mess and in a brief second that seemed much longer in the moment I heard the Holy Spirit say, “Buy him dinner!” This wasn’t unusual for me since I have tried to demonstrate Christ as often as I can to those in need but this time was different.
So I got from my seat told the kids I would be right back and I went and asked him if I could buy him dinner. Of course in elation he responded with a resounding “YES, Thank you mam.” As I purchased the meal and headed back to give it to him I noticed my kids had congregated over to him and engaged him into a conversation….one saying “Yes Jesus does love you!” While the other said, “My grandparents are helping people in Africa this week.” I made it over to them and instructed them to return to their seats and gave the man dinner. It wasn’t too long after that we left. It wasn’t two minutes into the car that my daughter pipes from the back…”That is what we do isn’t mom?” I inquired “What?” She said, “We help people!” I pondered for a time and said “Yes that is what we do!” As the questions flooded from them as our drive continued I felt the Lord say, “Sometimes it is for them.” I knew exactly what He meant.
God used this small sacrifice of money and time to not just share the gospel with a homeless man but to allow my children to see firsthand the call upon us as a family and as Christians. He helped me be the tour guide for a Christ like life not just a travel agent. It just reminded me that when my children can see God in everyday affairs their view of the world expands and changes. It is my duty to teach them Christ…demonstrate Christ like nature….not be a travel agent for church alone! As a parent I have to be the lead to introduce my children to the personality of Christ through continually showing them who Christ is by the way I talk, walk, and even listen. I want to be the tour guide of their lives not the travel agent…I don’t want to sell them a product I have never experienced or demonstrated…I want to walk with them and show them the very goodness of God!
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