Blindsided by Bitterness at the Trash Dump

I have an old, early-1990's, Ford Ranger pick-up truck that I lovingly refer to as "my trash truck". My dog, Oreo, thinks it's his truck, so I affectionately refer to it as "Oreo's Truck", too.

Usually, once a week, I load up the household trash, my faithful dog, and together we make the four mile round trip to and from the local dump. It's almost always a simple time of inexpensive dog and master bonding and a short season of real release for my often weary brain. It really seems that the trip there and back restores a healthy sense of normalcy to my life. For my dog, too, I would say.

Well, today my trash trip was a little different. I mean everything pretty much started the same, but as I was unloading the trash bags in the dumpster a lady passed me and said: "Hello Pastor Kerry. I know you are a Christian, but the reason I quit going to your church is you all give money to people in our community who don't deserve it." She went on and on about how someone that we blessed financially at Christmastime is a drinker, drug user, lays out of work, and even hangs out in bars.

In a few words, all I can say is, "I was blindsided by bitterness at the trash dump." I responded slowly and sweetly to her accusations, and as I was about to pull away she passed by my window carrying an old lamp, of all things, to the dumpster. I leaned out the window of my old Ford to get more light on the subject and tenderly asked her: "So, you are upset with us as a local church because we help people who don't deserve it?" "Yes, indeed", she said."The church shouldn't help people who won't help themselves."

I just arrived back home from my interesting, trash-dump journey and my mind is still spinning, somewhat. Here is the way I see it. I'm glad that God didn't wait until I could deserve His grace to offer it to me. And, surely I am grateful that I didn't have to be willing to help myself before Jesus would offer His life as a sacrifice for my sins. I love Romans 5:8 (ESV) -- "...but God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

Let us not forget dear friends, that "Grace is the undeserved favor of Holy God -- showing goodness towards bad people who don't deserve it."

Yes, I do confess that the last place on earth I ever expected such an encounter was at the trash dump. However, as I think about it, maybe it was the perfect place for such an encounter, because what I heard there was some really sad trash-talking, fueled by what appeared to be stinking thinking.

Maybe you would advise me to wear a ski mask to the trash dump from now on? Then, perhaps I wouldn't be such an easy target for another disheartening encounter. But having processed the experience for a while now, I can say that for the most part I really don't mind being the target. 

You see, I am finally fondly recalling her opening words to me at the dump and I am kind of feeling even encouragement coming on. She began her complaint with an under-handed compliment, saying, "Hello Pastor Kerry. I know you are a Christian!"

Well, I say, "Hallelujah!!! Yes, I really am! And, I guess that makes me a friend of sinners, too."

All joy.
Grateful