Hennan the humble

It was lunch time at the missions base. Even though I was physically hungry, I couldn't tear myself away from the intimacy that I was experiencing with Father God. I was just enjoying His sweet presence so much, He was feeding me with His joy. It was only a while later that I gathered my things and went downstairs to eat with the others. Most had already tucked into lunch so by the time I arrived, there was just rice and beans on offer. As these are some of my favourite foods I was happy with what I had but I made sure to scrape the wok that bore the tasty, leftover juices of chicken and veggies into my plate too. 

Just as I was about to take my plate of food to the lounge to sit and enjoy it, one of my friends, Hennan, came over to me. He took the chicken off of his plate and put it on mine. He said, you don't have any chicken, here's mine. 

I didn't need the chicken. It wasn't essential to my survival. It was an extravagance. What Hennan did was an act of extravagant love. He is my brother and that day, he made me feel so loved by his kindness, his simple willingness to share what he had. I hadn't missed out because I chose to spend time with God instead of go to lunch on time. The intimacy with Father that I had had earlier had by no means diminished, it just continued to flow, through others to me and through me to others. 

Hennan is a beautiful son of God. He is not a man of many words but when he speaks, it's valuable, worth listening to. He loves to laugh, he loves to worship God, he pours himself out for others, he truly represents humility to me. I count it a privilege to know him and call him my brother and learn from his example. 

Philippians 2:1-11

So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.