Never ever.

The friend who can be silent with us in a moment of despair of confusion, who can stay with us in an hour of grief and bereavement, who can tolerate not knowing . . . not healing, not curing . . . that is a friend who cares. –Henri Nouwen

Maybe you have had an experience like this.

Things are just not going as you would like. Maybe you’ve been sick, or a loved one is struggling with an illness. Maybe you’ve lost someone whose absence leaves a huge, gaping hole in your life. Or maybe it’s just been days or weeks of that "Tom Petty time," the time when the waiting is the hardest part.

Into your life, out of nowhere, comes a total stranger, an unexpected presence bringing a taste of hope in the darkness. They may not even realize what’s happening—but you do. As they listen, or offer a hug or a prayer, you become aware that things are changing, ever so slightly. You are breathing more easily again. The rivers of tears have slowed to a trickle.

As you think about it, you realize: that was Jesus who came and sat down in that empty chair!

God with skin on. Hands and feet of Jesus. We use phrases like these all the time, not really understanding what they mean, until suddenly, there he is. And the one God chose to serve was as unlikely as they come.

But the moral of this story is, you never, ever know who, or how, or where, Jesus will show up. And—you never, ever know when God might whisper in your soul and use you to offer Love to another on the journey. Never, ever.


Monday Take a quiet moment and reread the paragraphs on the other side of this page. Let the words sink in. Pray. Acts 2:37-39

Tuesday Reflect on a time someone did not keep a promise they had made to you. How did (does) it make you feel? Pray and if need be, seek to forgive. Joshua 21:45

Wednesday Now honestly recall a time when you broke a promise, perhaps unintentionally. Imagine how the other person experienced this. Have you made amends? 2 Peter 1:3-4

Thursday Tonight at bedtime, mentally review your day. Where did you succeed? Were there any areas you fell short when you reflect through the eyes of the Christ? Hebrews 10:22-25

Friday Make an opportunity today to offer a random act of kindness. (This does not need to be a big thing.) Thank God for the many blessings you have to share. Psalm 119:57-58

Saturday As you pray today for yourself, consider making and sharing a promise, just because. Then—do it! 2 Peter 3:8-9

Sunday Is there some new or different way God is calling you to serve your church family? What’s holding you back? Pray for guidance and courage. Revelation 21:3-4

Living is a form of not being sure, not knowing what next or how. The moment you know how, you begin to die a little. –Agnes de Mille

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