Scoot Over and Make Room for Hope

DAY THIRTY SEVEN: Thursday, November 20, 2008

Read James 2:1-12

"If you give special attention and a good seat to the rich person, but you say to the poor one, "You can't stand over there, or else sit on the floor" - well, doesen't this discrimination show that your judgments are guided by evil motives? James 2:3-4 (NLT)


An American minister called to speak in Winnipeg, Canada awoke on Sunday morning to a couple of feet of snow. His host called him and told him that the snowstorm arrived at such a time that, even in Canada, they would have to cancel church. He was directed to a deli inside a buse depot a block and a half from his hotel room for meals.

The place was packed when he arrived but some people moved over and made room for him. Many of them were there only to get in out of the cold. He ordered a bowl of soup and a few minutes later someone opened the door and a shout came from behind the counter, "Hey, shut the door! You're letting all the warm air out." In came a rather unkempt woman. A couple of people made room for her and she sat down.

"What do you want?" the waiter scowled.

"I'll just take a glass of water," she replied.

He sat the water in front of her and said, "Now what do you want?"

She replied, "The water is all."

He said, "Lady, either you're going to have to order something or else get out."

She asked, "Can't I just stay in out of the cold?"

He said, "No, you have to order something or leave."

Slowly she scooted out of her seat and started to leave. But when she did the people on her right and left also got up to leave. Then the people on each side of them got up to leave. Slowly, most everyone else started to leave, and the man in the greasy apron said, "All right, come on back. You can stay."

She sat back down - and the waiter even gave her a bowl of soup.

The out-of-town minister asked, "Who is that lady?" The man next to him replied, "I don't know. But if she's not welcome, I'm not welcome."

Action step for today: Share hope with someone who has been turned away by others.