What about the hard shell??

I was finally able to go outside for a while today after being sick for almost two weeks. I never knew going to the grocery store could be such an exciting adventure! It's amazing what you come to appreciate when you develop cabin fever after a long illness. It is also good to be back blogging.

I was just staring out our picture windows in our den this morning with my mind in neutral when I witnessed the most remarkable thing. My husband had told me about it but I had never seen it until this morning.

As I have told you, our big pecan tree has decided to be a pecan tree this year and we have had a bumper crop of pecans. As I stared out the window this morning, I saw these small birds, about the size of finches, pick up a pecan off the ground and transport it to the driveway. That was a mighty feat in itself seeing that the pecan was almost as big as they were. Once they managed to get the pecan to the driveway, they began to peck at the hard shell to get to the nut inside. I stood there mesmerized as I watched them peck and peck and peck and peck. One of the birds actually had to chase his pecan around a little as it rolled away from him every time he pecked it.
I was as excited as my little friends when they finally worked their way through the hard shell and were able to get to the nut hidden inside.

Then it was like God poking me in the ribs saying, "See, Susan, I keep pecking at the hard shells around the hearts of men ( and women) trying to get to the soft, sweet heart I want to create inside. That's what I did for you. I kept pecking at that shell of intellectualism, evolutionism, anger and apathy until, at the age of 27, I was finally able to peck through the shell and make you a new creature."

Wow! When I think of a God who would, like my little bird friends, love me and hunger for me so much that He was willing to stay after me, pecking at my hard shell even when I tried to roll away, I am left without words. And after working that hard to save my soul when I didn't want it saved, He is going to love me forever and never leave me nor forsake me.

Why can't I do the same with the people around me? Usually when I happen upon a "hard-shelled" person, I tend to walk away as fast as I can get away. After all, their habits are offensive, their language abusive, and their idea of a joke is just plain gross. I should seek the company of other Christians, right?

Well, yes and no. Yes we are to not forsake the gathering of ourselves together with other Christians. But we are also called to "peck" at these hard-shelled outcasts of society with the love of Christ. No, most of them are not going to change "poof" just like that. But with the persistence shown to us by God, we can continue to peck away at that hard shell until the soft heart within becomes open to the good news.

I pray that I can show the persistence and the patience to associate with the "hard-shelled" people I run into every day. After all, isn't that what Jesus called us to do when He said to go and make of ALL disciples?