Winding, narrow, and cobblestoned, one street looked like the next. Charming with overflowing flower boxes and brightly colored facades of red, purples, yellows and blues, it was a maze of charm and of confusion.
Our worn map was highlighted with care the night before, yet we spun in circles. We knew were close, but still failing to find the name we searched for.
Street names on sides of buildings, often obscured by ivy and faded with age, were of little help. We careened down one-way lanes and over mossy bridges, propelled by growling stomachs.
Racing past the same ancient church not once, but twice, and three times, we were hopelessly lost in roundabouts of frustration. Not only were we driving on the wrong side of the road, but we kept having to go through these circles with exits rapidly shooting off like spokes on a wheel.
Then we saw her, on yet another narrow street, one we would probably call an alley back home. She was standing by her tiny car, a thirty-something blonde, and she had it. It was what we’d been looking for.
She had a yes face.
Rolling down our window, we proceeded to pour out our dilemma. Try as we might, we could not find the recommended restaurant we had circled in our travel guide.
She gave us animated directions with a lilting brogue and a jolly smile, but when she saw our look of confusion, she dug for a scrap and wrote them down.
Left
Right
Left
Left
Right over bridge
Pass park
Left and left again.
With profuse thanks and a cheery goodbye, we took a deep breath and examined the directions. With dismay we saw an abysmal lack of detail. Uncertain but determined, we took off as directed.
She must have lacked confidence in our shaky abilities or sensed our hesitation, because we soon looked up to see her behind us. Zooming around us in a barely passable spot, her husband waved us to follow.
Grateful is too mild of a word for what we felt!
Jesus had a yes face. Crowds were drawn to him, children flocked to him, women found a champion in him.
As Christians,
Are people drawn to us or put off by us?
Are we open and approachable?
Or shuttered and distant,
With frown marks between our brows,
Too busy to be bothered?
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Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed him. (Matthew 4:25 NIV)
-Do you have a yes face?
-What can you do to become more approachable?