Gifting Our Gratitude:
I watched the older Asian man in the black trench coat and bowler hat wave at the passing cars this morning. That guy is so peculiar I thought to myself. Every morning for years he has strolled around my neighborhood. Winter, Spring, Summer or Fall, you will find him walking to the market sporting his ebony overcoat and top hat.
As he walks he offers a hearty wave and a broad smile to every passing car. He cares nothing of what others might think about his trench coat and nifty hat. He waives a genuine greeting even if it is unappreciated by the passersby.
He is peculiar. Hmmmm, but I like this man. He is kind and generous. I wonder if I should be peculiar too.
Peculiar is not always an oddity. Did you know that God calls us, his people, peculiar?
1 Peter 2:9a KJV
But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people;
The dictionary defines peculiar as: 1. Unusual or eccentric; odd. Okay, nobody likes that definition. However, God’s chosen are described in the second and third definition as: 2. Distinct from all others. 3. Belonging distinctively or primarily to one person, group, or kind; special or unique.
In our society where harshness and cruelty are commonplace, it is easy to become cynical about mankind. People are frantic to see something different. Desperately they watch just hoping a Christian will show them that life can be different. Our peculiar actions can perplex and unsettle others. Why would a Christian willingly help a stranger without expecting anything in return? They just don’t get it.
Thinking about my bowler hat neighbor makes me smile. His kind attitude is refreshing. He has inspired me to be a peculiar person as well. As a follower of Jesus, I have thought a lot about the significance of Thanksgiving and Christmas. I want the few short weeks ahead to become a season of the peculiar. I want my daughter to remember this holdiay season forever. This year I am going to be one of God’s extra peculiar people.
Beginning this past Saturday, as my husband, daughter, and I rushed around on the freeway, I surprised the car behind me at the tollbooth. I paid their toll. I told the attendant I was sharing some early Christmas spirit.
Her smile was reward enough for me. She commented, “That is really nice of you. I will tell them you love ‘em too.” How about that! Sharing a little unexpected joy not only affected my daughter and husband who were completely stunned but also the attendant and the two people in the car behind me.
Next week, I will secretly pay for an elderly couple’s dinner. I will look for an opportunity to buy someone a Starbucks anonymously. I will deliver a batch of cookies to my neighbor a widower of many years. I am gifting my gratitude.
I am determined to find some way each week between now and Christmas to be peculiar and do the unexpected.
Join me! This season surprise mankind with unrequited kindness. Become a peculiar child of the King. Gift your gratitude and say, “just sharing a little love!” Then let the Lord work in the hearts of many. I pray our world is transformed this season through the love of the Savior which is made tangible through His children.
I have yet to meet the bowler hat man face-to-face. However today as I waived back at his greeting, I am so glad he is peculiar.
Thank you for joining me here today my friends. If you stopped in to read my post about the Mysterious Human Body, sorry, this post was on my heart. I plan to post again on November 24th and share the mystery. Thank you for sharing your day with me. Tell me how you might become a peculiar child of God this Christmas.
Bless you for being peculiar my friend.
Oh I love this Lynn–this is the type of life I try to lead–being peculiar in a good way. 🙂 It is such a blessing and very rewarding. 🙂
The attendant smiled, the people in the car behind you smiled, and now I’m smiling too. Thanks for the reminder to be peculiar – in a way that throws people off guard. I’ll be looking for random moments to bless others this season too.
I think I will be peculiar this Christmas, as I was last also, by saying “Merry Christmas” during my encounters with people in public. That has become something our society frowns upon, and may one day be illegal to say if we don’t encourage people to use this freedom.
Hello, My name is Gretchen, and I’m a most peculiar chick.
Love your ideas. I’m going to bring weekly lattes to my daughter’s teachers. Thanks for getting my mind in gear. I’ve just learned to knit. Perhaps I can throw a scarf into an off-ramp ministry bag (toiletries, granola bar, and resource info for homeless folks on the off ramps of the highway). xxxooogretchen
Lynn, you are just too cool! I LOVE this idea. You’ve inspired me tremendously today, girl. Love you!
Lynn, this is such a beautiful post. Thanks for the ideas. I too will look for opportunities to be a blessing.
Sweet post, it made me smile all the way through. Peculiar is good.
Lynn…that is incredible! I am going to give this much thought!
Printing this to share with the youth group. Absolutely the most awesome thing I have read lately!!! I think we should all undertake that idea!
I SO LOVED THIS>>>>>>>
one thing our family started doing was going out to eat on Christmas eve and leaving a very big tip… so that whoever had to work on this holiday, it was worth their wild…. as well we blessed them with the Holy words of Jesus…
But you are so right.. I love doing this year round…
God is so good
Wow! I am completely floored by the awesomeness! I am always trying to find out how to stand out (in a good way of course) and this is just plain awesome!