The last week the Scripture was from Hebrews 13:2 (CEB)--"Don't neglect to open up your homes to guests, because by doing this some have been hosts to angels without knowing it."
We talked about being prepared for hospitality for guests. The opening prayer was: "Father God, we seek you today. Pour your Holy Spirit over us as we prepare to receive your people. Let us be open to your movement as we see our church today through the eyes of guests. Help us to first recognize and then be willing to remove our blind spots. Let us learn to demonstrate radical hospitality as you have instructed us to do. In your Son's name we pray. Amen."
Yesterday I had the opportunity to show hospitality to someone who came to the door at church. It was after the rain storm. I heard a knock.
When I answered the knock at the church door, a sopping wet gentleman in a ball cap stood there and asked if we had something to drink. He was thirsty, he said.
I invited him in and invited him to sit in the parlor while I went to get my keys so I could get some cold water out of the office refrigerator (we keep small bottles in there).
Recently, a new church attendee had given me two small food boxes to give away to anyone who needed them, so I grabbed one of those too. He was grateful for the box of food. I was grateful that it was on hand to give away.
As we shared our bottles of water, I learned this gentleman's name, that he graduated a year behind me at LFO (Lakeview/Fort Oglethorpe), that he had a car but had let someone borrow it and it had become impounded.
As we spoke, he mentioned that he built decks and did other handy man jobs. I remembered the email I had just read earlier about a local businessman seeking a handyman to do odds and ends around the grounds.
I got the email and shared it with him. Small world. This gentleman had lived there at one time and had built a deck for him.
I had a nudge to ask him 'why here?', 'why today?', but I didn't. It was raining. Who walks in the rain to a random church and asks for something to drink?
Instead of following that small nudge of curiosity, we prayed together. We prayed for the handy man job and the re-connection with the manager there.
I let him know what time our services began on Sundays and invited him to church.
This isn't the first person to knock on the door with a need or to be thirsty. But, this is the first time it struck me differently. This time the first words and only words of petition were asking for something to drink. Usually, there are other petitions that follow.
I can't explain why this time felt different than some of the others. I have done what I can in each of the other situations too, offering cold water, whatever food we had on hand, offering a ride, etc.
But yesterday, especially because the connection came up with the local business man and the job, it felt like one of those serendipity moments.
Maybe I was part of a bridge connection yesterday, helping someone get one step closer to something they needed. Or, maybe, just maybe, I was being blessed without knowing it by the presence of angels unawares.
Regardless, I was blessed by the knock at the door and the opportunity to show hospitality to a stranger.
Blessings on your journey,
Debra
Two songs: Angels Among Us-- by Alabama
Jesus in Disguise by Brandon Heath
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