Two Thumbs Up

Yesterday I was running errands for my boss and minding my own business while waiting for my turn to move through the intersection in front of me. At the very edge of my peripheral vision, I noticed the driver of the car in the next lane waving frantically at me. Although my first instinct was to pretend like I didn't see her - she looked a bit crazy - I decided to find out what warranted such enthusiasm. Maybe my car was on fire or I had a flat!

I looked over at her and she was actually bouncing up and down in her seat, pointing at my car and then at hers, mouthing the words, "WE HAVE THE SAME CAR!!!" Then she gave me a wave and an enthusiastic two thumbs up! I figured the best reply to her was to also point my thumbs in an upward direction and mouth, "WOO! ALRIGHT! YEAH!!" I kept on smiling and waving at her as I silently begged God to turn the traffic light green A.S.A.P. She continued to celebrate as if the two of us had won a million dollar lottery together. For those few moments, we were sisters, bonded by our charcoal gray Ford Five Hundreds.

After we parted, I continued to think about her. I had never seen her before and will likely never see her again, but she has been in my thoughts for a full day. Based on the way she accessorized her car and her person, I would guess that we have very little in common other than our gender and choice of transportation. Yet, thinking about her makes me smile. Her enthusiasm was contagious and the way she celebrated such a simple event is a wonderful example of how we should embrace the simple things in our lives, don't you think?

I have been thinking about my brothers and sisters in Christ, particularly in my local body of believers at church. We are all different. Based on how we dress on Sunday and the Bibles we bring (or don't bring), we have distinctly different taste. Some love contemporary praise music, some love traditional hymns, and some of us love a combination of both. Some love Bible thumping, hellfire, holler the walls down preachin' while some are more comfortable with sober consideration of scripture and it's application to our lives. Our interests outside of church vary widely. Some love old movies, some love watching sports, some love participating in outdoor activities, and some are couch potatoes. You won't find a more diverse bunch of interests converging in the same place as in a sanctuary on a Sunday morning. We all show up because we have one thing in common: We share the saving blood of Jesus covering our lives, making us worthy to fellowship with Him for eternity!

So, when we see each other, why don't we celebrate that one commonality? Instead of pouting during praise time or doodling through a sermon that we find uninteresting, why don't we follow the example of that crazy woman in the car next to me?

Here's a fun challenge: Next Sunday morning, when you get to church, wave frantically at someone as they are walking onto the campus until you get their attention. When they look at you, mouth the words, "WE HAVE THE SAME SAVIOR!!!" and give them a Big Two Thumbs Up!! They might think you're crazy, but they won't doubt your enthusiastic love for Jesus!