Unexpected Visit

The WORD today (see http://usccb.org/bible/readings/112012.cfm) reminds me that God visits us in times when we don’t expect Him.

Sharing with you a story I used in a past reflection: http://mysimplereflection.blogspot.com/2012/10/who-is-my-brother.html

One of the most beautiful of all Christmas stories was told by the American poet, Edwin Markham, about a cobbler, a godly man who made shoes in the old days. One night the cobbler dreamed that the next day Jesus was coming to visit him. The dream seemed so real that he got up very early the next morning and hurried to the woods, where he gathered green boughs to decorate his shop for the arrival of so great a Guest.

He waited all morning, but to his disappointment, his shop remained quiet, except for an old man who limped up to the door asking to come in for a few minutes of warmth. While the man was resting, the cobbler noticed that the old fellow's shoes were worn through. Touched, the cobbler took a new pair from his shelves and saw to it that the stranger was wearing them as he went on his way.

Throughout the afternoon the cobbler waited, but his only visitor was an elderly woman. He had seen her struggling under a heavy load of firewood, and he invited her, too, into his shop to rest. Then he discovered that for two days she had had nothing to eat; he saw to it that she had a nourishing meal before she went on her way.

As night began to fall, the cobbler heard a child crying outside his door. The child was lost and afraid. The cobbler went out, soothed the youngster's tears and, with the little hand in his, took the child home.

When he returned, the cobbler was sad. He was convinced that while he had been away he had missed the visit of his Lord. Now he lived through the moments as he had imagined them: the knock, the latch lifted, the radiant face, the offered cup. He would have kissed the hands where the nails had been, washed the feet where the spikes had entered. Then the Lord would have sat and talked to him.

In his anguish, the cobbler cried out, "Why is it, Lord, that Your feet delay. Have you forgotten that this was the day?" Then, soft in the silence a voice he heard:

"Lift up your heart for I kept My word.
Three times I came to your friendly door;
Three times My shadow was on your floor.
I was the man with the bruised feet.
I was the woman you gave food to eat,
I was the child on the homeless street."

In the gospel, Zacchaeus went on top of a tree to have a glimpse of Jesus. He did not even call him, much less asked Him to dine in his house. But Jesus, always full of surprises, told Zacchaeus to come down and prepare, for Jesus will stay at his house. That brought him salvation.

There are times, a lot of it, when Jesus comes in our lives unexpectedly.  There are people and situations that God uses in an attempt to visit us, however, we are not always sensitive, we are not always ready. We sometimes have a pre conceived notion of Him, and we expect him to come in a certain way. We box him in, and we do not allow ourselves to be surprised by God’s creativity. Thus, we fail to see him when he visits us unexpectedly.

What situations does God use to visit me? Who are the people God uses to visit me? Am I sensitive to Him, allowing him to surprise me when he comes, or do I expect a certain kind of visitation from Him? Do I do what I can to come to Jesus’ presence, like Zacchaeus, or do I just wait and expect Jesus to go to me? Am I full of excuses, or am I like Zacchaeus, who did what he could with his height, and made the effort to really see Jesus?

Father God,

I thank you for today. Thank you for reminding me that you continue to visit me unexpectedly. Lord, I pray that I always be sensitive to your visit. May I always be aware of the different ways you visit my life, and when you come, may I be ready like Zacchaeus. Amen.

Blessed day!

In Christ,

-g-

Ps

See related reflection:

http://mysimplereflection.blogspot.com/2012/10/who-is-my-brother.html