Pray it Forward

The way we conduct ourselves, the devotion we display to Jesus Christ, can affect the lives of those with whom we come in contact. Paul writes in Philippians 4:
17 Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that abounds to your account.
18 Indeed I have all and abound. I am full, having received from Epaphroditus the things sent from you, a sweet-smelling aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well pleasing to God.
19 And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

While we are certainly not called to be people-pleasers, by the presence of God flowing through us, we can allow Him to make an impression on other people. By walking in His authority and authenticity, we fulfill His mission to show the love of Christ. We have to be open to the promptings of the Spirit so that the love of Christ will be spread through us. Out of our love for God, we can display the love of Jesus to a world that needs to see it.

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Because the presence of Christ lives within us, He can touch lives through His people who are willing to share His love. 2nd Corinthians 2 presents this imagery:
14 Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.
15 For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.
16 To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life. And who is sufficient for these things?
17 For we are not, as so many, peddling the word of God; but as of sincerity, but as from God, we speak in the sight of God in Christ.

Today is the end of October - for many, it is the day known as Halloween.  In just a few weeks, the fall colors will disappear and we will be in the thick of the Christmas season.

And, the "pumpkin spice" products will be disappearing from store shelves and from a certain coffee chain.  With the advent of pumpkin spice lattes at Starbucks, the craze over the flavor has certainly become more pervasive.

But, for customers at an Arkansas Starbucks recently, there was another flavor at work - the flavor of God's love that carries with it a sweet aroma. And, this story has certainly spread through the Internet.

FoxNews.com reported several weeks ago:

An Arkansas mother was deeply impacted after seeing a Starbucks barista pray with a drive-thru customer – and posted the heartwarming moment on social media.

Tanya Hinsley, a Jonesboro resident, was waiting in the Starbucks drive-thru with her teenage son last week. They drove to the Starbucks together to practice his driving skills since he recently got a driver's permit.

Hinsley saw a Starbucks employee named Carrie praying with a customer at the front of the line.

So, Tanya posted a picture of Carrie's action on Facebook, and it received "hundreds of likes and comments," according to the article, which went on to say: that Hinsley wrote, "I did...see this lady at Starbucks hilltop PRAY with a woman in the drive through this morning because she needed it," adding, "Now this is worth talking about y’all." The article notes that Tanya talked with Carrie after the Facebook post, and, according to the report, "Carrie was touched by the positive reactions."

We have heard about the "pay it forward" concept in drive-thru lines, where customers will pay for someone else's order - in this case, Carrie is praying it forward, offering the love of Christ and taking a person's need to the throne of God.

FoxNews.com also noted:

Hinsley said she was touched by Carrie "simply being a light for Jesus" and hopes the situation inspires others to demonstrate kindness.

"This act of kindness and boldness in faith given out to others daily by people like Carrie, gives me hope and reminds myself and hopefully others that being kind and praying for someone doesn’t cost anything," she said.

So far, I haven't seen any repercussions documented from Carrie's action, and that's good.  There have been numerous news outlets report the story, and I'm sure that there have been negative comments, but no word from Starbucks that I have seen that Carrie faced disciplinary action.  Which is good.  But, why should I even think about that?

Well, just ask Joe Kennedy, the coach who prayed for seven years at midfield after football games and lost his job, which he will apparently be getting back soon, as the result of a positive ruling at the U.S. Supreme Court.  Or the British doctor, Richard Scott, who had faced punishment for praying with a patient until a settlement was reached.  

But, the flipside is that so many people have experienced answers to prayer. And, we should never hesitate to pray for a person - I would recommend asking for permission first - because it gives us the chance to a channel through which God will work in a person's life. 

Through our willingness to show Jesus to another person, it can make a lasting impact. The Bible speaks of an "aroma," spreading a fragrance of the presence of God to other people.  We can seek to be the people who spread peace and hope to a world that is subject to the stench of sin and spiritual decline.