are YOU "good enough?"

He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along (Psalm 40:2, NLT).

Neighborly tolerance. Let's break that down into two parts: 'neighborly.' Even Jesus mentioned this, "love your neighbor as much as you love yourself." And 'tolerance.' How would you define tolerance? Putting up with someone or a situation? Enduring? Maybe just being kind to others...which brings us back to 'neighborly?' 

Recently in my small town, an elderly man passed away. He was well-known to many, yet shunned from being able to participate in church, why? Because he was so hard of hearing, he tended to be loud. Because of his infirmities, he also had incontinence. He wasn't allowed to go to funerals at a certain funeral home, again, because he was too loud. His voice was one that carried a good distance, yet when he died, it was as if he was the most endearing person, oh! how everyone spoke so highly of him.

This man, who was so shunned during his life, now was elevated to sainthood status. Such hypocrisy!

He had no one to care for him, to speak for him, to help him in his last few years of life. The things that gave him comfort he wasn't allowed to partake in...just because he didn't fit other people's ideas of what he "should have been" like.

Another church: a developmentally disabled man was publicly shamed during a church service by the pastor because he also was too loud. I wonder what was going through that man's mind...too loud? Maybe he was worshipping God the only way he knew how, maybe the only way his heart led him to praise God...and was shushed where everyone could see his shame. Would Jesus have done that? I think of Zacchaeus, who climbed a tree to see Jesus better and was honored when Jesus stopped and announced He was having dinner at his house that evening! Honored, not shamed...because Zacchaeus knew what he had to do to get the Lord's attention!

Several years ago, another elderly gentleman told me he was looking for a new church, as the one had used to attend closed their doors due to declining membership. This gentleman went to a church and after a few weeks, announced his intent to join. It was then that the pastor told him that they needed to convene with the board, to see if HE was a good fit for THEM. After that meeting, this man was told that he wasn't a good candidate and thus, they turned him away. The shame he felt...not being "good enough" broke his heart and he stopped attending church altogether.

Neighborly tolerance. At what point did Jesus tell people they weren't "good enough" for Him or His ideas? "No, you cannot come to My table...you are too loud, too stinky, too old, too _____ "(fill in the blank).

It reminds me of when I was in 2nd, 3rd, 4th grade and the schoolgirls told me I wasn't good enough to join whatever group they had going on. It reminds me of someone who, throughout his life, was taken advantage of, to the point where he no longer could trust who was his friend or foe. He told me once that he hoped I'd still be tolerating him in a month because, as he said, "if crap is flying around a room, it always found" him. He said people thought of him as being "lost in the woods, a nutcase" or worse. Tolerating...him? Why would anyone say such a thing? It broke my heart when he said this, as he was such a gentle, thoughtful person who gave 110% of himself to any and all who came his way-and yet was always kicked to the curb when "they" were done with him. I loved him dearly and hold the lessons he taught me close to my heart as the gifts they are. He gave rides to strangers who were walking along deserted roads when I thought that safety was the better option. His words were, "if it were me who was stranded, wouldn't YOU want someone to help me?" He had a point there! He gave his last dollar in tips to those who served him at cafes and restaurants. I saw him peel off a dollar to a child at a lemonade stand and then, peeled off several more, just because. He epitomized Jesus...and yet because he wasn't like all the rest, was shunned, was laughed at, mocked and more. How was he remembered at his funeral? "Every time we were at his apartment, all he served was spaghetti or else, Hamburger Helper!" Words said in disdain. My heart crashed at that. I happened to know he made his own spaghetti sauce and was proud of it, but more, spaghetti and Hamburger Helper were all he could afford...seeing as how he was either out of work or had very little money. But his hospitality? Top-notch! And like the Israelites of old, who complained of manna from heaven not being good enough...they too, complained. He gave up his bed and slept on the floor so others could have comfort. I could go on, but you get my point.

Not good enough.

Jesus told us to preach the Good News in all the nations! He did NOT say, "unless they are a different skin color, race, gender, age, have X amount of money, seem annoying," or anything of that nature. "Come to Me, all you who are thirsty and I will give you water to drink...I am the Way and the Truth and the Life...all who come to Me shall not perish, but shall have everlasting life!"

It is an invitation, a celebration of what Jesus offers to us, if only we follow Him! By following Him, we also encourage others to come with us, there is enough of Jesus to go around and no, you don't have to put on airs or be anything other than the child of God He knows you to be. He meets us as we are! Not as we could be or should be...as we are. Doesn't that make you feel special? I sure hope so!

Sounds like a good, neighborly thing to do, if you ask me!