Our Visitor

Intimates know about our door bell situation.

Days after moving into our home, we accidently clipped those wires. Then “fix the doorbell” was on the job list for several months. But gradually, we adjusted and then realized that we were just fine without it. We avoided casual door-to-doors and other annoyances.

So to this day. Friends understand that we spend more time near the rear of our home and so they come around to the back door. Then, if the door is open, they call in or walk in and announce themselves.

So Jeremy was surprised when, on Friday afternoon, he answered the loud knocking at the front door and opened it to a visitor….not expected, not invited, but not unwelcome.

He called me to the living room and I greeted a local minister who offered his hand and began, “I’m not really sure why I’m here.”

He said that he had just this morning heard of Mike’s illness and something (hmmm, shall we say The Holy Spirit?) brought him to our home for the first time.

He’s not a stranger. 20 years ago, I served on a pastoral search committee that brought him to town. Since then, we had moved to another church and he had left and formed a new church. In recent years, he and I had bumped into each other on those occasions when I was treating myself to breakfast and he was meeting with a men’s group at our finest local diner.

Several months ago, he asked me to proofread a grant proposal where he recounted his life experiences for the last few years. He was diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer and is currently in remission but there’s so much more. Let’s just say that he is a modern-day Job and we’re no where near chapter 42.

Again, “I don’t know why I’m here.”

I gave him a short summary of our last few months. Then, Mike joined us. After 30 minutes, they thought maybe I had something better to do. 2 hours later, the emissary left.

All this in the context of our seeking God’s guidance in the course of Mike’s illness.

We did not speak of it until we were on our way to the lake. Then, Mike said, “Well, what do you make of that visit?”

I said I had no idea except that we had been praying and I knew that others were praying and this guy just shows up.

“It must have something to do with what God is trying to tell us.”

Mike agreed and said, “It means I’m going to take the treatment.”

Ok, then I’m dumbfounded. When it comes to decision-making, I am the impulsive; he is the deliberative. But not this time. We had not had time to work the win/loss column thing. He had seen the decision as crystal clear because of the visit.

And so this afternoon, I have contacted his doctor and we will meet next week to get all the particulars scheduled.

And please continue to pray. Although we realize that God’s will here is clear, today we are both quite blue.

And rejoice that God answers prayers powerfully.

Blessings to all of you. We will keep you posted.