Luke looked down at the shattered glass cup and up at Jason. “She’s my wife. What do you want with her?”
“I asked you where she is? I won’t ask again.”
Luke laughed as he bent to pick up the pieces of glass from the floor. “This is my house, and she is my wife. Who are you to threaten me?” He straightened and turned to Jason. “I’m glad you are here, though, because I need to talk to you. I don’t know the history you have with her, and I don’t want to know, but you need to understand that I am her present and future. We are a married couple, my friend, and I am not letting her go.”
“This is the 20th century, friend. People don’t make decisions for full-grown women anymore. Bring her out here and let her decide. Can you do that?” Jason asked walking close to Luke.
Luke looked him in the eye. “My wife stays. Now, apart from shattering glass and messing with another man’s wife, is there some other damage you want to inflict on my household?”
“I’m not leaving without her. Her phone is here, I heard it ring when I called her earlier, why is she not answering?”
“None of your business. Now leave, or I’ll call the Police.”
“No, let me call them for you, so you can explain to all of us what you’ve done to Rose.” Jason took his phone, and Luke heard the clicks of the keypad.
“I’ll get her. There’s no need to complicate matters.”
Jason put down his phone and waited.
Luke walked to the bedroom, knowing that this was the end. He had tried to take matters in his own hands and had made mistakes every step of the way. What if this was the end of their marriage because of his temper fit, for god’s sake. He stopped at the bedroom door and did what he should have done from the start, he prayed.
When he went in, he saw Rose crouched on the floor like a caged animal. He walked to her and knelt. “I’m sorry for everything. I saw what I felt was proof of your infidelity, and I lost it. I wanted to kill you and to die myself. I was wrong, and I understand that you must hate me for everything I’ve put you through. Please forgive me.”
Rose didn’t say a word, she just looked at him with wide eyes. Luke stood up and stretched his hand to her, she took it and got up.
“Jason is in the living room, waiting for you. You must make a choice now, him or me. Whatever it is, please believe that I love you and I’m sorry.” He laid her hand by her side and walked out of the bedroom.
Jason stood up as he entered and looked behind him, expecting Rose. Luke took a seat and waited as well; he had left everything to God.
“Where is she? You said you were bringing her out here.” Jason was shouting.
“Don’t worry, she will be out soon.”
After a while, Jason started pacing. “Is she covering up her battered body, what the heck is taking her so long? What did you do to her, man?” He asked Luke as he advanced towards him.
“I’m here,” Rose said as she emerged.
She looked at Jason with a smile and a nod, then at Luke, with an expression he had never seen before. At that point, he knew he had lost his wife, and he put his head down as the tears fell.
“For many are called, but few are chosen.”’ Matthew 22:14
George slit the envelope open with his penknife, he almost felt bad. It was purple and embellished with gold, a treasure to store. He read the contents on the card inside aloud. “You are invited to the marriage ceremony of Prince David to Princess Eve.”
George sat down again with a smile, which turned into a grin. At last, he was being recognized for his excellent work and labor towards the country and its citizens. He looked at the purple box in which the envelope had been delivered, remembering that there was something else in it. He stretched his hand and took the box and opened it. In it was a purple paper wrapping, which he tore, and a red satin material dropped out. He dismissed it, not a chance. It was too simple for him to make a garment for the wedding.
He picked up his phone and called his tailor with instructions on what he wanted and the event he wanted it for. George put everything back into the box and placed it near the T.V stand, a prominent place. Then he started making calls. By the time he had called the fifth person, George was distressed, everyone had been invited to the ceremony. How was that possible? How could the King have asked riffraff and all sorts to the event of the century? Well, George would show them levels at the event. Not everybody invited was the same.
He called his tailor again and gave more instructions on his outfit, it was to be the best thing the tailor had ever made him or anyone for that matter.
George packed his leather designer bag and left the office, leaving instructions for his staff. He was working from home till the next week. He couldn’t afford to remain in the office when there was so much to plan.
At dinner with his wife, the following conversation ensued.
“Darling, I was invited to the Prince’s wedding on Sunday.” He said, looking at her with a smile.
“Really, what are we wearing?” She asked, smiling back.
“We? Who said we are going? I was invited, you stay home and watch it live.” He didn’t look up from his plate and missed seeing how much he had hurt his wife.
“All our neighbors are going with their wives, I wonder why your case is different.”
“My invite, my business. The neighbors can do as they like, commoners.” He shuddered at the thought of being there with ‘everybody.’ “At least, I’ve done so much for this country, but what of others? What of that loser, Emery, who can’t keep a job, who his wife is feeding? Or John, who was fired last week for embezzlement? Or Johnson, who started a riot with his pro-democratic friends? I just don’t understand it. Anyway, I know that I will be honored for my contributions to society, so I have told Grange what to make for me to wear. You know Grange, he never disappoints.” He said, smiling to himself.
The next day, Grange, the tailor, called to see George.
“This is wonderful, Grange, well done.” George said as he looked himself over in his clothes closet. It was spacious and well-furnished, with two comforters, near the shoe rack and the clothes shelves. George stood before the big mirror in the center, beaming at himself. Yes, he would be set apart indeed.
“Excuse me, sir, didn’t you get the uniform satin, the wedding garment?” Grange asked.
“That?” George asked, looking at him in the mirror. “Only commoners can wear that. Why do you think I had you make something of such magnificence for me? I mean to stand out in the crowd on Sunday. To be recognized and to shine. Mark my words Grange, the King himself will see me in this exquisite creation of yours.”
Grange bowed, smiling. “Thank you, sir, I will see you there then.” He made to leave and stopped as George called to him.
“You were also invited?”
“Many of us were, sir.”
George breathed out, looking downward. He had lost all the zeal he had to attend, everybody would be there, there was no class to the thing.
“Goodbye, sir.”
George waved him off, then turned back to the mirror, a solution in his mind.
It was a beautiful Sunday morning, and George took his time getting ready. The event was for noon, so there was no need for haste. He would get there a bit late like the big boys and select his party. He couldn’t stand with everybody else now, could he? His bathwater was mixed with liquid vanilla oils. His perfume had incense, dark cherry oak and vanilla oil mixed in, he smelled divine, or so he told himself. He put on the dark blue silk brocade jacket and trousers, with his shiny leather shoes and looked himself in the mirror with a smile.
He was driven to the event and dropped him off at the entrance to the palace. The first thing George noticed was that there was nobody else wearing anything but the red satin uniform. He stood out alright, being the only one wearing something different. George smiled and nodded at the people he knew, looking out for the wealthy crowd, his solution of the day before. They were nowhere in sight.
All the invited guests had been led to the grand ballroom where the ceremony would be held, and as he walked in the crowd, George spotted Grange.
“Grange, Grange, come here.”
Grange saw him and smiled. George noticed how well dressed Grange looked in the red satin and shrugged off any jealousy.
“Where is everybody?” George asked Grange when they stood together.
“Who are you looking for, sir?” Grange asked, squinting at him.
“Well, the rich and famous?” George said.
“Oh, them. Well, the King asked his messengers to invite us instead when the ones he invited proved too busy to answer his call.”
“You mean none of them are coming?” George asked, standing still.
“Some may, you did. It’s not just the rich and famous, sir. There are also kingdom officials and priests on that list. They all went about their own business. Let’s keep moving forward, the ceremony is about to start.”
Once in the ballroom, George forgot his plans. The room was decorated from top to bottom with red roses. The red satin was used as ribbons to hold the hanging roses in place, and it was tied to every available cornerstone. The effect was beautiful, George forgot himself and gazed at everything in wonder. He didn’t see the King standing behind him until he was tapped on the shoulders. George turned, and his mouth dropped open, he knelt before the King.
“Rise.”
George got up. “Thank you for inviting me, your highness.”
“Where is your wedding garment? Were you not instructed to wear it as the only way to attend the ceremony? I was gracious enough to invite you, but you couldn’t do the one thing I instructed that you do? Guards, tie him up and toss him away.”
‘And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, “Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house.” So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully. ‘ Luke 19:5-6
Hello,
May the abundant grace of God cover you.
The story of Jesus and Zacchaeus touched me. Zacchaeus had a need, he sought to know the Lord. He wasn’t a favorite of the Jews, having been tagged ‘sinner’ as a tax collector. He also had a hindrance, which was capable of stopping him from having his need met, his height. However, Zacchaeus didn’t let all that stop him from seeking the Lord, he had a solution which many would find hard to do. He knew which way Jesus would pass through, so he climbed up a tree and waited. Imagine it, a rich man, a known tax collector at that, flinging shame to the wind to know the Lord. Think about the strain and stress he put his body through as he made his way up that tree to wait. Jesus didn’t disappoint, He is Lord. He walked up the pathway and stopped in front of the tree. He looked up and said, “Zacchaeus, I see you.” (My version)
What drove Zacchaeus to disregard all and to climb the tree in public just to see Jesus? He must have believed that Jesus was his answer to seek Him out, and to want to know Him at all costs. Remember Zacchaeus was a rich man, he didn’t need wealth. He had realized that he needed something else only Jesus could give. We all go to church, study scripture, and pray, but do we believe that God sees? If He does, will He help? Can he satisfy our needs?
‘But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.’ Hebrews 11:6
God does see, but He is not a man. He is the King of Glory seating on the throne above the heavens. He requires that you come to Him, your Father, believing that He is. Imagine a throne room (not like the ones in Game of Thrones at all) of glory. We can walk into it just the way we are, anytime we want to. That’s what the blood of Jesus did, the access. Not only can we walk in, but we can walk up to the throne and call the King, Father.
Second, diligence. It’s about care and consistency, perseverance. Do you believe that the Father is God? Seek Him. Can He satisfy your needs? Don’t stop your search, persevere. Is He your Father? Then you know He has only love for you, He doesn’t lie. I don’t know what Zacchaeus was expecting from the steps he took that day; however, Jesus knew his heart and went to dwell in his house.
Whatever our hindrances may be, it is time to go to the Father by faith and lay them before Him, over and over again. Let us be persistent like Zacchaeus and continue in our quest. May we not be swayed by lies and human wisdom as we approach the throne room of a loving Father who is waiting for us.
‘Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, ‘ Luke 18:1
Hello,
Why do we pray? To praise and worship God, to talk to Him, as our friend, confidant, and Father, to ask for the things we need, to set what we want in motion, or to lay out our plans?
Jesus said we are to pray always and not to lose heart. For me, that makes prayer internal, a heart position. We have all been in situations where we were asked to pray for or with people, and we spoke words we didn’t believe or think through. We have also prayed out of joy, desperation, and pain or just because. What about praying always?
From the moment we wake up till we go to bed at night, and in sleep, our minds are working. We work with the pictures in our minds and end up translating them into action, most of the time. We basically work out our thought processes, good or bad. What if we start praying about those thoughts? What if we are always mentally alert, and can present everything to the Father, the good and bad?
Whether we work in offices or at home, there are distractions everywhere. What distracts us? The daily grind, issues from work, friends, enemies, family, the news, other people’s lives…LOL. Jesus said that we can lose heart or be weakened by all that we go through and that we ought to pray instead.
We ought to talk to the Father about the big things and tell Him the little things. Open up about the weaknesses we can’t help ourselves out of and the strengths He can use for His glory. We are to tell Him about the people that antagonize us, and the ones we love. Do we worry? We are to lay everything before Him. Do we have urgent issues? Let Him know.
‘Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”‘ Matthew 11:28-30
Lay them all down before Him and find rest. Lay that job, spouse, child/children, family member/s, friend, enemy, house, 10-year plan, and situation down before Him. Did you read about Dele? https://transformationplace.blog/2020/02/19/the-search/
It’s not by might, nor by power, it is by His Spirit alone (Zechariah 4:6)
“Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. ‘ Matthew 6:31-33
Hello,
I hope your week has been going well?
The verses of scripture above remind me of my childhood. I didn’t have to worry about anything. I just asked, and most times, I received what I wanted. My parents were not wealthy, but they had two girls, and they could accommodate a lot of our excesses. We never worried about what we would eat, drink, or wear. We always had enough, and my parents knew what we wanted before we asked, most times anyway.
Does that experience help me understand better when my heavenly Father asks me not to worry? Yes. Have I worried? Yes. You see our earthly parents, we could see; our Father in heaven, we can’t. I could see all the food in the kitchen and the clothes in the wardrobe. Can you see or measure grace? I add this because some people would say that it’s easier for people who had loving parents to understand and accept the grace and love of God.
Some people didn’t have parents at all, others had strict ones that insisted on discipline over showing emotion. So, let me introduce you to the Father, my Father. He knew my end from my beginning before I was born. To achieve His plans for my life, He put me in the family, village, state, and country, in which I needed to grow and thrive. To ensure that I developed in every way, He set me up with mentors and teachers, who I disappointed and failed time and time again. Most gave up on me, but He never did. He kept pushing and prodding me, and I knew He was there. I always did know, yet I failed, made mistakes, and took Him for granted. When I gave up on myself, in hopelessness and despair, He would draw me out with His righteous right hand, time and time again. I am alive today because of Him, and if you are reading this post, you are too. This is also your story.
God is our Father, and today, He asks us not to worry. He knows everything about our lives, our hopes, dreams, and aspirations. The ones in His plans and the ones that are not. The hidden ones, and the ones we reveal, He knows them all. I know most parents would do all in their power to ensure that their children are clothed and fed, why is the Father any different? I ask this of myself as well, because when I worry, I am saying to Him, “you are not a Father I trust to take care of me.” I am heathen then if I live like I have no hope except in people or myself. I am a gentile if all I live for is how I will eat, drink, and clothe myself and my family.
If He is indeed a Father, like I have known and experienced, then He knows what I need. He asks us not to waste our energy seeking the material, which His grace has already provided for, but that we seek Him instead. Imagine, not having to worry about anything else but about knowing God in our daily lives and doing His will. This is true for the working-class, for entrepreneurs, and even for stay-at-home parents. The same applies to singles, the married, and for students.
Don’t worry. Our Father knows, He sees, and He is right here with us.
‘And if you have not been faithful in what is another man’s, who will give you what is your own? “No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”’ Luke 16:12-13
Hello,
May the grace available for us this week fill us to overflowing.
I started reading Luke 16, and the Holy Spirit painted a picture in my head. From verse 8, Jesus was commending the shrewd/sharp-witted/clever sons of the world, saying that they were sharper than the children of light. In verse 9, he advised us to make friends for ourselves with worldly resources/possessions, hmmm…
Okay, step back. Is Jesus saying that we need money to survive this world? No, he calls it unrighteous mammon, meaning it can never lead us on the path of righteousness. Further down, from verse 10 to verse 13, the picture becomes more apparent, Jesus is talking about faithfulness. The sons of the world are clever because they can maneuver their way around and change things with money, we don’t.
To be faithful is to be constant, obedient, reliable. While the sons of the world are clever with unrighteous mammon, how are the children of light to be sharp-witted? Let’s look at Jesus’ example.
‘Then Jesus answered and said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner. For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself does; and He will show Him greater works than these, that you may marvel. ‘John 5:19-20
When we are obedient to God on the little things he asks, God will commit greater things to us to manage. However, if we are unfaithful/unreliable/disobedient in the small things, how can He commit anything to us? In Luke 16:11, Jesus alluded to worldly possessions as the little things/the insignificant. God owns everything on earth, and we are here to manage them, so how can we decide what to do with what belongs to someone else? Growing up, I remember that some parents would test their children with money. They would send a child on an errand with cash, knowing what to expect. If the child came back with the truth, the child had passed the test. If not, they knew there was a problem on their hands.
What has been given to us on earth is for God. We are to go to Him on what to do with them, as Jesus also did only what He saw the Father do. The Holy Spirit is available to guide us on all things, even the use of unrighteous mammon, so our light can shine and bring glory to God. When you are faithful in managing unrighteous mammon, then God can place true riches in your care. If worldly wealth is not true riches, then what is, and how do we attain it? The Holy Spirit is right there, just ask.
You can choose to serve unrighteous mammon, it’s effect seems real, or to serve God. Serving either one means living by them, Jesus said there is no sitting-on-the-fence on this one. It’s time for the children of light to live up to our full potential in Christ. It’s time to be faithful.
“Now He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way raise herself up. But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to her, “Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity.” And He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.” Luke 13:10-13 NKJV
Hello,
It’s another weekend.
I was feeling burdened today until I read the scripture verses above.
Jesus was teaching and noticed a woman who had been burdened by an infirmity/sickness for 18years. The illness had strained her body to the point that she was bent over by it, unable to help/support herself or raise herself up. Jesus called her over and laid his hands over her, healing and removing the burden once and for all. The Bible says that the woman stood straight after that and gave glory to God.
‘Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.’ Isaiah 53:4-5
By his death on the cross, Jesus Christ bore all our burdens and nailed them on the cross. The blessings and absolute freedom we have gained by His grace are ours because of His sacrifice. If we can receive His salvation by faith, we can also drop our burdens, sicknesses, and problems at his feet by faith. So, I did.
Something else caught my attention in Luke 13, It still happens today.
‘But the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath; and he said to the crowd, “There are six days on which men ought to work; therefore come and be healed on them, and not on the Sabbath day.”‘ Luke 13:14
They should have been rejoicing at what the Lord had done; instead, the synagogue ruler insisted that healing was to be done when the necessary conditions were met. I wasn’t surprised, heck I do it too. We think that all righteous conditions should be met before God does His work in our lives. Things must be done at the right time, in the right place, and by the right person.
The Lord then answered him and said, “Hypocrite! Does not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or donkey from the stall, and lead it away to water it? So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound—think of it—for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?” ‘Luke 13:15-16
Allow me to paraphrase verse 16. “Healing and the burden-bearer is here. Why do we need to wait for another time, a better place, or another person to heal her?” God doesn’t need any other requirements except that you accept that He is God and believe that He is able.
“But without faith, it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” Hebrews 11:6
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and depart from evil. It will be health to your flesh, And strength to your bones.” Proverbs 3:5-8 NKJV
Hello,
Thank God for His grace.
Today, we will compare scripture verses to understand some concepts better. I will break down Proverbs 3:5-8 before I introduce another set later.
Proverbs 3:5-8 advises that we do the following:
Trust in the Lord with all our heart
Do not lean on our understanding
To acknowledge God in all our ways and He will direct your paths
Not to be wise in our own eyes/ not to follow what makes sense to us
To fear the Lord, and to depart from evil, which would keep us healthy and robust (the supernatural kind)
“Happy is the man who finds wisdom, And the man who gains understanding; For her proceeds are better than the profits of silver, And her gain than fine gold. She is more precious than rubies, And all the things you may desire cannot compare with her. Length of days is in her right hand, In her left hand riches and honor. Her ways are ways of pleasantness, And all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her, And happy are all who retain her. The LORD by wisdom founded the earth; By understanding He established the heavens;”Proverbs 3:13-19 NKJV
From the verses above, the gains of wisdom and understanding are:
A quality of life that is better and higher than what the profits of silver and gold can provide
Length of days
Riches and honor
Peace
Pleasantness – splendor/grace
Prosperity
They are from the Lord
All over the world, there is news of one calamity or the other. There is the COVID-19, the flood in different areas, and the downturn in the financial situation across the globe. Today, I heard about locusts in Kenya, and I put a pillow over my face. Don’t forget that we also have personal issues to deal with, jobs, and the environment around us.
We are encouraged today to trust God with ALL our hearts. When the news breaks, when life happens, when situations arise, trust God with your ALL. You know why? I’ll tell you.
No matter how the situation looks, you don’t have the full picture, only God does. He has seen the end of that situation from the beginning and asks us to trust Him without fear.
His wisdom and understanding are higher than ours. He can direct us aright; if we lay our plans before Him in trust.
Where has the great wisdom of man gotten us…
The healer assures you of health and strength in your body beyond human comprehension.
We are assured of all the blessings from Proverbs 3:13-19. For we walk not in our own wisdom, but in God’s.
Don’t forget that the one who founded the earth and established the heavens, can build your life up, with no help from you.
With this post, I am challenging the wisdom of the world or of man. It appears not to be effective at the moment. What the world lacks, God owns. Where the world is blind, He sees. The world has proven unworthy of our trust, Jesus died to prove that He can be trusted. He can cover all inefficiencies without lifting a finger, need I go on? Imagine it, the wisdom that founded the earth and the understanding that established it is available to you and me.
He dwells in the spiritual, He is supernatural. It’s time we left natural things, let’s seek and trust.
“So he answered and said, “ ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and ‘your neighbor as yourself.’ ” Luke 10:27 NKJV
Hello,
Welcome to a blessed week!
I have been thinking about the verse above, loving God. I realized that to love God like that would take faith and relationship. It says to love the Lord with the following:
All your heart
All your soul
All your strength
All your mind
That means we are to love God with our all, nothing should be left out. From when we wake up till we sleep, we should love God. He is to take pre-eminence in everything we do. We are to be wholly submerged in Him and be about Him. Is this possible?
When a child grows up into adulthood, he/she begins to live life on their own. The person will start to care for herself, and when there is a family, that adds to the responsibilities. She will also begin to take care of the parents when they grow old. Don’t forget that she is expected to mature in her thinking to fit her status as a grown-up, grow in her job, and be seen to prosper. When does an adult have time to love God as He expects?
Let’s break it down. You cannot love someone if you don’t know the person, and you cannot have knowledge of people if you don’t relate to them. So first steps, we start to connect with God, and over time, as He leads us through life, we begin to know Him. For us to get to the level of all-encompassing love, we have passed the level of just knowing, and have become totally connected to God. He becomes our number one priority, not our families, nor our jobs, nor life can take His place. We have gotten to a place in Him, where He calls, and we drop everything, just to answer. Our lives have been grafted into Him to the point that we only do as He has led/spoken.
The more we get to know God, and are led to live the way He has called us, the more we see and hear Him. Obedience to what we see and hear leads us into a deeper level of trust and relationship. There are depths in God that humanity has not seen, but are part of what He has prepared for us. The adults who can connect, find peace, grace, and mercy. The hustle ends.
Loving God with our all is possible, if you believe it, you will walk in it. It would take faith, commitment, consistency, wisdom, understanding, and knowledge, all this the Holy Spirit is there to help with. With all my heart, I pray that we continue to seek God’s kingdom and His righteousness first in every area of our lives.
“He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Matthew 16:15-16 NKJV
Hello,
I hope you are doing well?
A certain man walks into a restaurant and orders food. He requests for the local dish on the menu, and the waitress takes his order and leaves him with a complimentary glass of water. He is the only adult male customer in the restaurant, the other customers are a woman and her little boy.
The man waits for his order, sips his drink, and watches the small TV hanging on a ledge on the wall. Next thing, they hear a loud thud from the kitchen, a pot has hit something. Nobody takes notice, the man doesn’t even turn from watching TV.
Twenty minutes later, the waitress comes out with plates of food, which she drops on the table of the mother and son. She walks to the man’s table. “Sorry, we can’t make what you ordered. Can you order something else, please?”
The man turns to her and looks her over. “Are you in pain?”
She touches her face by instinct. It had started swelling. “I’m fine. May I bring the menu?”
“Sit.” He said.
She looked at the chair and sat. She would be punished for that, but the authority in the man’s voice brooked no argument.
“What if I told you that I know where to find peace and a better life, would you believe me?”
She laughed. “What’s this, Mr., a joke?”
“No jokes. I know where you can find peace, joy, and life beyond what you can imagine. It’s waiting for you, and it’s your birthright.”
She stood up. “Listen, sir, I know my parents and where their good-for-nothing graves are. I know my birthright, and this is it for me. I don’t know what you are selling, but I’m not buying it. Please order and let me get on with my life.”
“You don’t have one.” He said, looking her in the eye.
“What? What did you say to me?” She asked.
“You don’t have a life, and I’m here to change that. To introduce you to the life you were meant to live, is that so hard to believe?”
Was it possible? Hope sputtered in her heart and died quickly. She had lived long enough to know schemers when she saw them. She walked to the next table, retrieved a menu, and placed it in front of him. “Place your order, please.”
“God is here, and he wants you. I have no reason to lie.”
She looked him in the eye and was lost. She saw her life as it passed before her. The struggle, pain, joy that ended before it began, more pain and resignation. She looked down, tears streamed down her face. “I don’t know how to. Nobody has taught me.”
“Do you believe?” He asked.
She looked up at him. “How?”
He smiled, and his face transformed. The waitress could have sworn he had the kindest eyes in the world. “Just believe and see.”
She nodded, unable to look away from those eyes.
“Go get your things. We are leaving.” He said, and she nodded again and went to do as he bid.
He turned around and met the family of two, looking at him. “Do you want to come too?” He asked. The mother nodded and packed their food, then pulled her son up, and they moved to the man’s table. They all left the restaurant, and though they went to work with the man, they all found peace, joy, and life in ways they couldn’t believe.
Like the waitress, life has banged us up once, twice, or multiple times. Some of us have resigned to it, forgetting who he is. Jesus came to give life. Not the one that we were taught to seek, but a higher form, one so high we cannot imagine it. Not based on sweat, but lived by grace. His promise is as simple as the man had made it, all we need to do is believe. He is everything that we need, all that we require to live life abundantly. God has planned out each person’s life, and the blueprint is available upon request. The more we seek Him, the more our eyes are opened to his reality for us. Who is he to you?
Transformation Place 