I haven’t posted in about a year because I really didn’t have anything that I wanted to write about. A lot has happened in the past year, but I didn’t feel that I really had anything that anyone would be interested in…until now, perhaps.
Recently, over the past several months there has been a nagging disputation among the friends that I worship with. Controversy is okay, I guess, but there were some dark undertones of a really mean dissentious spirit that was more personal at it’s root than differences in opinions. Well, anyway, let’s leave it at that. It is my response, and the Lord’s response to me, regarding that dissentious spirit that I want to share.
Several weeks ago after finishing my morning prayers, I was going about my morning routine getting ready for the day when I heard in my mind these words: “Your request will be granted.” Hearing that stopped me in my tracks. What request? I hadn’t made a request that morning in my prayer. What request is granted? I went back to the Lord and asked, “What request, Lord?”
Silence
I asked the Lord many times over during the next few weeks in my prayers, which request will be fulfilled? I received no answer, so I was left to work it out for myself. As I wondered about this over time I came up with the idea that my greatest desire was to see the face of the Savior in person. So, that must be it. What a wonderful thought. To experience being in the actual presence of the Savior!
It wasn’t until a couple weeks later while I was praying that the answer to my question, “What request will be granted?” , suddenly came to me all at once, like a single thought. And as usually happens to me, the answer was not at all what I expected. “When you look upon someone, a stranger or a friend, and you look at their face, you are looking upon the face of Christ.” I was floored. The idea flooded my mind with such grace and love that I was overcome. Over the next few days, as I attempted to look at others with that idea in mind, I found a profound peace and grace that flowed through me like a river (Isaiah 48:14). I don’t now how else to put it. Try putting that into practice, and see where it takes you. It doesn’t leave much room for judgement.
Here is the tie-in to the controversy I mentioned at the start of this post. Several days later I began asking the Lord if there was anything I could do to help remove the bad feelings and troubled hearts that came about because of the arguments and discord. I even wondered if I had somehow contributed to the bad spirit. After some self reflection I determined never to speak bad things about anyone no matter what I thought they had done, never to gossip, and never to turn away an opportunity to reconcile with someone whom I might have offended, even inadvertently. As I thought this in my mind, while I was praying, this thought came into my heart: “There is something you can do, you can share what you have learned about seeing the face of Christ in everyone.”
“Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” (Matthew 25:37-40, KJV)