The Back Side of the Fence

"Isn't painting the back side of the fence just as important as painting the front? Same paint, same job."

This is the question that came into my mind just before I woke up one morning. I had been dreaming about many people who were busy painting a long white picket fence. I didn't recognize anyone, but I was the only one painting the back side, the side that doesn't face the road, the side that few would see or notice. I remember I was taking my time, making sure every area was painted thoroughly. Getting this job done was a passion for me, in my dream.

Thinking about my dream helped me realize God approves, understands, and in fact, it is His idea for me to get involved with "back side of the fence" issues, those things other people may not even notice. The woman with the worried look cradling her sick baby in the clinic waiting room, the teenager who walks the streets alone at odd hours of the day or night, the newly widowed woman who goes to the neighborhood grocery five or six times a day because she is so lonely, all of these people need a smile and some encouragement. Doing these simple actions won't make headlines or be noticed, but they are every bit as important as ministering on a world-wide scale with media attention.

I need to remember that. Maybe you do too. Let's keep on paintin'.

Dear Father, help us to have a servant's heart and the ability to see the needs others may miss, knowing that nothing done in Your service is trivial or unimportant. Amen Doma