Spend less time as a Robber!

The parable of the good Samaritan.

In this story there are a few characters:
The Good Samaritan
A Certain Man
Thieves
A Priest
A Levite
The Inn Keeper
The Beast

There are a host of applications for these different roles and for any given moment in our lives ones life, one could play any one of them.  One could be the Priest or the Levite looking on the man only as one passes the other side.  One would be going through life not looking for others to help or up lift or waving only at moments to serve as they pass one by.  One could be the Inn Keeper; one would house the man, tend to him and watch over him till all is well or the Samaritan comes back.  One would be taking every opportunity to fellowship those brought to the church, or to be a friend to one introduced.  One would watch over and care for those put into your command.  One would do faithfully one's home teaching and visit those in one stewardship.  One could be the Beast and carry those found to a safe place. One would be a missionary.  Or the most striking one could be a Thief plundering along the way...

This is the one that truly caught my ear today.  There have been so many times in my life that i have striven to make new friends, ones that are deep and last.  While creating these friends i have often times been left behind...while walking to church, when they create parties with their old friends, or even just walking to campus.  In these moments life sucks!!  So i had an interesting experience...while walking to school today i waited for my roommates.  We set out together but while traversing the extensive parking lot across from the Wilk my roommates set out in a different direction, they were quickly lost in the sea of cars.  For some reason in that moment every past fear of mine came to chilling life, the horrors of the past seemed destined to darken my sky, grip my throat and leave me utterly empty and alone.  I'd been left again.  It seemed fate had dealt my untimely hand.

It was then i had desired to be the robber, it fight back with all i had.  I felt that i had been robbed and left by the wayside.  I felt that since i had been robbed, hurt that i would do the same to them.  If this was life it would be better to be on the Thief's end.  Why strive to make friends, why say kind words, why waste your time with others when they will only rob it from you and leave one with nothing in return.

Thankfully however that is not were this story ends, in that moment of pain i heard a voice, a familiar voice, one warm and kind...It called my name and petitioned "wait up".  No words brought greater joy to me than these, this day... When i felt stripped and by the way side, he stopped for me this day...

For me it was something big, for me it was a tender mercy, to others it might have been a joke.  But to me it was  a big deal!

My roommate could very easily have just when his way wondering why i had speed off and even he himself felt scorned but instead he cared by the wayside.

I pray that i may never in though, word, or exempt play the role of the robber.  Even when i feel that i have been the first wronged.  Spend less time as the robber, the priest, and the Levite.