God's words will always return
Soul Snack 110/10 ... Fear or Faith?
A mist-obstructed dawn drifted delightfully across the mountain peaks.
Lightly filtered beams radiated freshness and hope into this simple mountain cabin. The occupant was still asleep, alone as always.
He had dwelt in remoteness for many years, the brutal scars of guerrilla warfare slowly healing. Solitude was his constant safety, and remoteness his joy.
As always, today he would do battle. The warfare of loneliness was relentless. Still, the pain of his past would again today color his present and tomorrow rob his future ... or would it?
Rolling back the tangled bed-sheets, his warm bare feet landed on cold unpolished timber. Embers still aglow, the fire soon reignited. This mountain retreat was both his salvation and his sin.
He had received so much so long ago, yet given so little for so long. He had known so much, but used so little.
The fire now was well alight, stale coffee on the re-boil. Today his life would change forever. Today he would lose loneliness.
The second cup had just been poured, while bread cradled over a makeshift toaster on his fire became toast. Breakfast was well on the way.
In this engulfing silence he reflected that his last visitor was nearly three years ago, a ranger warning of possible wildfires that never eventuated.
Startled, his reflections were interrupted by a desperate knock on the door. He did not like visitors. This graceless indulgent hermit was about to remember Jesus’ words, that he had buried for so long.
They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?' He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'( Mt 25:44-45)
Before him stood a bedraggled and gaunt teenage boy, this time he would let a stranger in.
Finally Jesus' words of love were stronger than his own self protective love. He would no longer make decisions from fear but faith.
The Words of Christ will always re-claim you.