Seeing God
Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your descendants I will give this land.” ( Genesis 12.7)
There was a member of one of my churches who was blind. Blindness had come upon her late in life and so she hadn’t learnt Braille and was too old to risk falling and breaking a bone, so she stayed in her home, listening to the radio. She had a live-in housekeeper, and members of our church visited her often. She had been an active member before she lost her sight. The friends kept her up to date with news of the events in the congregation and she was mentally very bright. I used to take communion to her once a month. We always invited the housekeeper who I’m going to call Violet to take communion; she always refused, but said she would like to listen to the prayers.
Since Mrs. Grey didn’t need someone with her continually, I suggested that Violet might like to come to a Sunday morning service at our church. Violet replied, “Oh no, I could never do that.”
“Why not?” I asked.
In a matter of fact way Violet replied that she was a wicked woman.
“Makes no difference,” I replied, “Church is for sinners.” Violet looked at me strangely, and paused for emphasis. “Pastor, I mean wicked.” Now that was an opportunity to get all theological about the fact that we are all sinners, but I sensed Violet was trying to tell me something so I just kept quiet.
“I used to be young, and beautiful; that kind of wicked.” Said Violet.
“Well there’s a few of that kind of wicked in the Bible, I said, so why not come to church.”
“I can’t, said Violet, “most of the women in that church wouldn’t sit at a table with me, least of all share a church pew.” I knew that was true, the church I was serving at that time was an old well established congregation, most of the people attending were the widows of professional men. One of the problems with that kind of congregation is that they tend to confuse respectability with righteousness, most of them just can’t tell the difference. “But she’s good now, said Mrs. Grey, she’s been good to me, so I’m sure God’s forgiven her.’ My friends from the Assemblies of God would wonder why I didn’t start preaching that minute and put them both right, but I have kind of noticed that when a person is making their way towards God, it’s not always helpful to rush them. Besides I needed to do some converting of Christians.
It did cross my mind that if Mrs. Grey died Violet would be left without friends and perhaps no money. But unexpectedly it was Violet who died first, the cancer was advanced and she was no longer able to bear the pain when she finally went to see the doctor. I visited her in hospital and prayed for her, she thanked me. I went three days later, and she couldn’t wait till the greetings where over before she said, “Sit down, I’ve something I want you to know. Last night I couldn’t sleep for pain but I looked up from my pillow and there was Jesus standing at the foot of my bed, he was smiling at me.” Of course I believed her, didn’t Jesus speak to me when I was just a six and half year old child? Hadn’t I listened to story after story about Jesus speaking to people and people seeing the Holy City on the night before they died? It was just so scriptural that Jesus appeared to her. “Do you think you’ll see Jesus again?” I asked and she knew what I meant, “Oh yes, I’ll see him in heaven.” she said. Now it was time to help her get through the door, , now that she’d been welcomed. So I asked her, “Violet are you going to heaven because you’ve been good to Mrs. Grey?” She looked at me and replied, “I’m going to heaven because Jesus died for my sins.” She was through the door, safe home. If I’d been an emotional person I’d have cried for joy, but I’m English and have one of those stiff upper lips that gets in the way.
Why did God appear to Abraham? Was it because he’d been good and obeyed God by making the journey from Haran to Canaan? Or was it because God gives favors to people simply because he is good and it’s his nature to bless everyone who will let him get near them?
There was a member of one of my churches who was blind. Blindness had come upon her late in life and so she hadn’t learnt Braille and was too old to risk falling and breaking a bone, so she stayed in her home, listening to the radio. She had a live-in housekeeper, and members of our church visited her often. She had been an active member before she lost her sight. The friends kept her up to date with news of the events in the congregation and she was mentally very bright. I used to take communion to her once a month. We always invited the housekeeper who I’m going to call Violet to take communion; she always refused, but said she would like to listen to the prayers.
Since Mrs. Grey didn’t need someone with her continually, I suggested that Violet might like to come to a Sunday morning service at our church. Violet replied, “Oh no, I could never do that.”
“Why not?” I asked.
In a matter of fact way Violet replied that she was a wicked woman.
“Makes no difference,” I replied, “Church is for sinners.” Violet looked at me strangely, and paused for emphasis. “Pastor, I mean wicked.” Now that was an opportunity to get all theological about the fact that we are all sinners, but I sensed Violet was trying to tell me something so I just kept quiet.
“I used to be young, and beautiful; that kind of wicked.” Said Violet.
“Well there’s a few of that kind of wicked in the Bible, I said, so why not come to church.”
“I can’t, said Violet, “most of the women in that church wouldn’t sit at a table with me, least of all share a church pew.” I knew that was true, the church I was serving at that time was an old well established congregation, most of the people attending were the widows of professional men. One of the problems with that kind of congregation is that they tend to confuse respectability with righteousness, most of them just can’t tell the difference. “But she’s good now, said Mrs. Grey, she’s been good to me, so I’m sure God’s forgiven her.’ My friends from the Assemblies of God would wonder why I didn’t start preaching that minute and put them both right, but I have kind of noticed that when a person is making their way towards God, it’s not always helpful to rush them. Besides I needed to do some converting of Christians.
It did cross my mind that if Mrs. Grey died Violet would be left without friends and perhaps no money. But unexpectedly it was Violet who died first, the cancer was advanced and she was no longer able to bear the pain when she finally went to see the doctor. I visited her in hospital and prayed for her, she thanked me. I went three days later, and she couldn’t wait till the greetings where over before she said, “Sit down, I’ve something I want you to know. Last night I couldn’t sleep for pain but I looked up from my pillow and there was Jesus standing at the foot of my bed, he was smiling at me.” Of course I believed her, didn’t Jesus speak to me when I was just a six and half year old child? Hadn’t I listened to story after story about Jesus speaking to people and people seeing the Holy City on the night before they died? It was just so scriptural that Jesus appeared to her. “Do you think you’ll see Jesus again?” I asked and she knew what I meant, “Oh yes, I’ll see him in heaven.” she said. Now it was time to help her get through the door, , now that she’d been welcomed. So I asked her, “Violet are you going to heaven because you’ve been good to Mrs. Grey?” She looked at me and replied, “I’m going to heaven because Jesus died for my sins.” She was through the door, safe home. If I’d been an emotional person I’d have cried for joy, but I’m English and have one of those stiff upper lips that gets in the way.
Why did God appear to Abraham? Was it because he’d been good and obeyed God by making the journey from Haran to Canaan? Or was it because God gives favors to people simply because he is good and it’s his nature to bless everyone who will let him get near them?
posted by Jessie Coates at 9:46 PM
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