The title of this message is, perhaps a little off-the-cuff sounding, yet there is a deeper meaning if we think about it. We all have so many different little sayings, yet never know where they originated. Still, we can use them and apply them at will. I am about to take into this one, from my perspective.
Each time I have a visit with my mom, who lives next door,
she greets me with, “what’s going on”? After we set the kettle on for tea and
coffee, we settle in. I catch her up on the week, and she offers me a sweet
with my hot drink. As we sit and chat, I am always amazed at how easy it is to
share and learn something new about her with every conversation. At almost
eighty-six years old, she can still conjure up something from her past that I
didn’t know. These days, like many her age, she is unsteady on her feet, hard
of hearing, and does forget some things. Yet I am pleased to still have her in
our lives. As she turns the television to mute, and we share some time
together, we laugh, watch the birds outside feeding, and sometimes have a
little cry as we miss people who have gone on before us. It’s amazing how quick
an hour can fly by when you spend time with someone you love. As I prepare to
leave, she always walks me to the door, and as I give her a guaranteed hug,
kiss, and I love you mom, she says, “oh just a moment”. While I pause at the
door, she hands me a large bag of chips. She always told me that as a baby, she
would offer me a cookie, or a pickle, and I would always choose the pickle.
It’s the salt thing. Think about it, we can enjoy the chips as we sit with a
loved one, and even lick our fingers to get every morsel.
Now here is where Jesus comes into my message. Like our
elderly parents, Jesus waits patiently until we come knocking on His door to
sit and visit. Like my mom’s door, His is always open for whenever we can “make
time”. He never admonishes us for being late or busy because He already knows
why. He always has a place prepared for us to just sit and chat, whether we come
for a laugh, a lesson, or a cry. When we visit with Him, either in a service,
or just in our thoughts, we have His complete attention. His hearing, sight,
and memory are all perfect, so we need only whisper and He hears us. Like our
parents, if we just listen to Him, we will always learn something new about
Him. He will never fidget in His seat and will always wait for us to make our
exit before He walks us to the door. As we leave our chat, we know we have been
given the gift of a lifetime in every conversation. His bag of chips to me, or
us, is what He leaves with us. It’s the treat for later that we can enjoy and
share with a loved one. In each visit with Him, we are assured of another at
our leisure. Just like with my mom, I can unload my fears and concerns. I can
soak up what He wants to tell me. I can catch up on the week and days, and I
can leave till the next time with all that and a bag of chips.
As I write this message, I am enjoying the sounds of my wife
preparing food for our Ukrainian Christmas dinner later today. Perogies ready
for cooking, turkey and cabbage rolls are in the oven. The smells are
permeating our home on this cold snowy day, yet I take comfort in knowing that
we will gather today to share a wonderful meal. Our numbers are smaller, yet
the importance and gifting of our gathering is just as valuable as a crowd of
many. At then end of the day, we will all say our good-bye’s with hugs and
doggie bags. As for me, I will give thanks for the blessings in my life.
Mike Shindruk
Master’s Hand Ministry
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