At the Ready

As I sat enjoying a hot cup of coffee in the coffee shop, I observed a mother with her young son; a boy of about ten years of age. She watched as the boy played with a hand-held technical gizmo. Then suddenly a vision popped into my head like a mini film. Here’s what I saw;

An elderly mother is having lunch with her young adult son. They don’t speak; in fact, the young man fidgets with his tie and glances around the restaurant perhaps hoping to see a friend or perhaps hoping no one notices him sitting with his mother. Every now and then, the mother’s lips part as if she is about to say something but instead looks anxiously at her son. They seem uncomfortable in each other’s presence. After a few awkward moments, the young man casually slips a technical device from his jacket pocket and turns it on. As he ponders over it, his soup cools.

Suddenly his mother sits up straight, her eyes twinkling. A slight smile appears as she sees an opportunity to begin a conversation. A couple of weeks ago, her son mentioned the purchase of a new technical communication device. She is about to demonstrate her knowledge of the popular technical gadgets of the day.

“Is that your new strawberry?” she asks her son.

The young man sighs deeply and throws her a look of disgust as he replies angrily, almost in a growl; “Blackberry, Mom! Blackberry!”

When we sit in God’s presence, we need not feel uncomfortable or search awkwardly for the right words or topic. When words fail us, as they do sometimes, the Holy Spirit will ‘intercede for us with groanings too deep for words.” (Romans 8:26) If we keep regular company with God; through prayer, Bible reading, obeying His commandments, worship; He will hear us. He has promised. Ask, seek, and knock; it will be given, found, and opened unto you. (Matthew 7: 7) He wants to commune with us; daily. God is at the ready.

The Way In

One of the little century churches which I visited while gathering information to write a book was originally a Methodist Church. It later became a United Church named Miller Memorial, formerly known as Pleasant Point United Church.

A neighbour lady who had keys to the church unlocked the large wooden front doors, opened them wide and we entered. I studied the interior and took photographs and jotted notes. Then we went outside to take pictures. As I studied the church from the outside, I didn't see a steeple or a cross. That seemed strange to me since all the century churches I'd seen had steeples and crosses. I asked the lady about it. She assured me there was a cross and led me back to the front of the church. She shut the wooden double doors and there was the cross - carved into the front of the doors - half of the cross on each door making a complete full cross when the doors were closed.

What a glorious message! We search high and low for joy and hope and there it is in plain view just as that cross on the doors of that little church. The way to God's heavenly sanctuary, to life eternal, is through Jesus. He is the way, the truth, and the life. Salvation is free and within easy reach for all. Ask for forgiveness for your sins, knock on the door and it will be opened to you. Unlike the doors on that century church which are kept locked, God's door is never locked.

John 14:6