"Let Me Be Like Tracy"
1 Peter 4:9
- Use hospitality one to another without grudging.As many of you know, our family was called by the Lord to relocate and begin ministry and life for Jesus in Orlando, Florida nearly two months ago. Before this relocation ever took place in reality, it had taken root deep within my heart and mind for the Holy Spirit had planted it there.
Last October 2015, while interviewing for a position for which God did
not open for me, we visited Genesis Church for the very first time. Upon sitting down we were definitely strangers in a strange land trusting in the Lord for we knew no one in this church which my husband had found online.
During worship the pastor asked everyone to greet one another, which you often see happen in churches today, but my husband and I had an encounter that was real and sincere. A beautiful blond woman not only shook our hands but hugged me and welcomed me with the most sincere eyes and smile I had seen in a church in quite a while. She told us her name was Tracy and that she was so happy we were there.
As the months passed and we continued to wait on the Lord’s timing we never forgot Tracy and when we entered Genesis Church in June of this year we definitely looked for her. She spotted us before we could see her and again we received the same reaction with added excitement and encouragement when she found that I had received a job and our family had made the move to Florida.
I now see Tracy every Sunday and when I do it brings joy to my heart for several reasons. First, it is evident in her worship and in her interactions with others that she loves Jesus. And second, she is sincerely happy when she sees new faces enter the church. I had to take some time to reflect and ask the Lord to help me be more like Tracy. Not in the way she looks, or the clothes she wears, but in her attitude about church and the worship for our King.
As our world encourages us to be like celebrities or sports stars, I have learned from Tracy that we should work to be more like those who embody and shine with the light of Christ. For that reason I encourage you to also reflect on whether others see Jesus when they encounter you!
Publisher Note:
Jessica Daly is a native of Wayne County and currently resides in the Orlando, Florida area where she is Librarian at Florida Technical College. She is a graduate of Eastern Wayne High School and East Carolina University where she has earned a BS in elementary education as well as her Master’s Degree in Library Science.Jessica is married to Brian Daly, a native of Wayne County for 15 years and they share a daughter, Taylor who is 12years old. Jessica began My Daly Outreach Ministries,a ministry dedicated to caregivers, in January 2011. The ministry consists of an online website, ww.mydalyoutreach.com, a published book entitled “Brian’s Update”and inspirational speaking across the country bringing awareness to forgotten caregivers.
