The visit of the Lord
Into your hand I commit my spirit;
You have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God. Psalm 31:5
Read Hebrews 13:1—6
Tonight, out of the list of life situations in the reading, if any in the list digs into me and arrests me, I had better lay the prayer book aside and attend to God’s voice and let God deal with me. Failing that, I will think about this hospitable spirit I am to have. When I look at the encounters in Jesus’ life he strikes me as ready to move in on me. I know he grew tired, as I do. I know he had to retreat, as I have to at times. But he was also distinctly interruptible, and many of the stories and sayings that are imprinted on my life as patterns of the presence of God came because people walked into Jesus’ life. From that unplanned encounter came a woodcut of the nature of God that is still imprinted on my life today. So I think Christ would have me ready to make space in my time for the unplanned stranger. The unexpected stranger could be, after all, an angel to me.
Lord of my heart, I do like to be in full possession of my life, to order my time and the space around me my own way, and not to be out of control. But let me, also, not miss you. Let me not miss your visitation when I meet the stranger. Let me not miss the enrichment you have in store for me, the addition to my own story. Let me not be dull. Let me not be cut off from your world by guarding my own. Let me be ready to be laid aside for you. Visit me. Send angels.