Helen Steiner Rice wrote a classic Christmas story-poem called "The Christmas Guest." It was about a man who had a vision that Christ would visit him on Christmas day. Conrad waited all day for the Lord to appear at his door but the hours went by with no sign of his expected guest. Three times there was a knock at the door. First, there came a shabby beggar. Conrad gave him shoes and a coat. Then a tired old woman came by. Conrad gave her food and a place to rest. Finally, a lost child found her way to Conrad’s door. He dried her tears and took her back home. By then, Christmas day was nearly over and Conrad was filled with disappointment that the Lord had not visited as he had promised.
When soft in the silence a voice he heard,
"Lift up your head for I kept My word--
Three times My shadow crossed your floor--
Three times I came to your lowly door--
For I was the beggar with bruised, cold feet,
I was the woman you gave something to eat,
And I was the child on the homeless street.
Three times I knocked and three times I came in,
And each time I found the warmth of a friend.”
God doesn’t always appear to us as we expect. The Jewish people did not expect their Messiah to come as a baby in a manger or riding into Jerusalem on a donkey. As Christians, we expect our Lord to return in the clouds with great glory and someday—maybe sooner than we think--he will. In the meantime, however, he may also come to us as someone in need, someone we can help or encourage. The Bible says that whatever we do for others, it is as though we do it for Christ himself. Let us watch for his appearance and ways we can serve him and others during this holy season.
By Hazel King
Photo by Hazel King
When soft in the silence a voice he heard,
"Lift up your head for I kept My word--
Three times My shadow crossed your floor--
Three times I came to your lowly door--
For I was the beggar with bruised, cold feet,
I was the woman you gave something to eat,
And I was the child on the homeless street.
Three times I knocked and three times I came in,
And each time I found the warmth of a friend.”
God doesn’t always appear to us as we expect. The Jewish people did not expect their Messiah to come as a baby in a manger or riding into Jerusalem on a donkey. As Christians, we expect our Lord to return in the clouds with great glory and someday—maybe sooner than we think--he will. In the meantime, however, he may also come to us as someone in need, someone we can help or encourage. The Bible says that whatever we do for others, it is as though we do it for Christ himself. Let us watch for his appearance and ways we can serve him and others during this holy season.
By Hazel King
Photo by Hazel King
Copyright 2008
Totally real.... this happens each day. helps to give one pause when ones temper starts to flare. There is never anything ordinary in the ordinary.
ReplyDelete