I Wonder--May 16

I just returned from visiting a parishioner. While on the surface the task seems to carry with it a definite meaning and purpose, I find something deeper happens during these times, and I wonder. . .  

There are the usual 'housekeeping' tasks to be done first in any of these visits. Questions like, "How are you feeling?" or "What have we heard so far?" are part of the normal discourse. I try and get up to date as quickly as I can about the overall health of the person that I am visiting before moving on and pressing in with them . . . 

Once those questions are out of the way, it is time to notice where is God in the room? What is God doing in this person's life? How might the presence of their minister remind them of the primary promise of the Bible: "I will never leave or forsake you"?  

Sometimes that act or the answer is deliberate. The person knows that God is with them or they will state that God seems far off. Either way a conversation takes place next and often it blesses me as much as it blesses them. 

I did all of that today. 

But driving home, I reflected on the visit that I just completed. I did what I was supposed to do--what I was taught to do when I visit someone in the hospital. But the more I thought about it, I began to wonder if the true transformational moment was not in what was said, but perhaps the transformational moment was that I (or you) took the time and came to visit?

During those moments or those visits we have the chance again to silently trust that the Holy Spirit is assisting us in prayer. We have the chance to listen deeply and notice the subtle movement of God in that person's life. Often times we do not have to do any more than just show up--we can leave the traditional language behind and trust God to be with this person whom we love and whom we see needs a touch of God's hand. 

And so I wonder. . . When was the last time you just showed up in the life of another person and let the Holy Spirit guide and direct you? Perhaps your attention was just what that person was needed. . .