I've always been somewhat of an introvert. That is, I don't have an outgoing type of personality. I am more reclusive, a loner and quiet in nature. I am reserved and careful in nature. That is a good thing, I humbly think. I have a big heart and I care. Unfortunately there is a flip side to this, which is that I am sensitive and get my feelings hurt quite easily.
When I was a young man, I used to get my feelings hurt whenever I went to any store, and the cashier wouldn't make eye contact with me. It would literally ruin my whole day. So, for years I dealt with the issue by never looking at people. I would look anywhere but at the cashier, to avoid getting my feelings hurt. As I grew older, and suffered through many inexplicably difficult and emotionally traumatic experiences in my life (including an unwanted horrible divorce in 2006 that destroyed my life), those afflictions changed me, helping me to grow thicker skin (so to speak). Psalms 119:67 and 71, “Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word. ...It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes. ”
Today, decades later, most store cashiers refuse to make eye contact. I went to the CVS Pharmacy and Grocery Advantage stores yesterday, and neither cashier would make eye contact when they handed me my receipt. It doesn't offend me anymore, because now I understand why they won't make eye contact, to protect their own feelings from being hurt. It hurts the soul when you're having a happy day, and you look at someone at the checkout counter, and they diss you and then walk away. So, those cashiers have learned never to look at people, and that way they cannot be hurt. I understand why they do it.
But the reason I am writing this blog is to share with you something that I started doing that really helped me when I was younger. I started passing our Gospel tracts. I kept tracts in my pocket. So, whenever I looked at someone and they dissed me, and didn't let them get away with it, I said: “Excuse me, here is a Gospel tract that shows you how you can go to Heaven.” Usually they looked at me and smiled, letting me know that it wasn't personal why they hadn't looked at me before, they either didn't want to get their own feelings hurt, or they were upset about something, having a bad day. But some of them still didn't look at me, even when I handed them a Gospel tract, but that'\s okay, because I had taken everything to a whole new level by sharing the Gospel with them, so that nothing bothered me after this. It worked!
I am a problem fixer by nature. I don't want to be the type of person who complains about everything, but never lifts a finger to change anything, to make things better. I kept forgetting things when I left the house. So, I took my small Craftsman tool pouch from Walmart, took all the tools out, and out all my car stuff inside instead. I religiously take that small red pouch with me whenever I drive anywhere. My MP3 player, some cash, phone, grocery shopping list and everything else that I will need stay in that bag, so I won't forget it. I still sometimes forget my phone, because I take it out of the bag, but I am working on solving that problem. I like to fix problems, not keeping making the same dumb mistakes umpteen times.
So, share the Gospel with others dear reader, and use that as a tool to cope with hurt feelings. Even if you are shy, you don't have to say a single word to hand someone a Gospel tract. I implore you to please stay away from using the free religious tracts (junk theology) from Billy Graham's website. Be careful about buying tracts on Amazon, or using anything that contains poisonous Lordship Salvation, or Misunderstood Repentance, et cetera. I recommend buying some tracts from the Sword Of The Lord. Or perhaps you might want to write your own tract. I used Microsoft Publisher to write my own tract, which is a trifold using a standard size sheet of paper. Whatever your burdens, issues and heartaches may be, take it all to a higher level dear friend, by passing out Gospel tracts to lost sinners. Live for others!
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