Divine Visits

 

When my mother passed away, we were blown away by the number of people who came to share how much her life had touched them. She had a heart for serving others and a unique ability to notice those who often went unnoticed. 

In our city, we had a community living space where many elderly members of our church lived, including my grandmother. During her regular visits to see my grandmother, my mother always stopped in on some of the other elderly individuals she knew had no one else to look after them. They eagerly awaited her visits. 

One elderly gentleman described her as a little bird, never knowing exactly when she would appear. He said she disappeared just as quickly as she appeared. During her quick visits, however, she always blessed them with a cheerful word of encouragement or took the time to pray with them. Her visits were divine.

My mother reminds me of a story from the New Testament about a eunuch who was traveling and reading the book of Isaiah. The Holy Spirit prompted one of the apostles, Philip, to go on the road and meet him.  As Philip approached the traveler, he asked the eunuch if he understood what he was reading.

“How can I,” he said, “unless someone explains it to me?”  (Acts ch.8:31)

It was then that Philip revealed the Gospel message to the eunuch. The eunuch believed and was baptized. Before he knew it, Philip had disappeared. The eunuch returned home filled with joy.

This passage also reminds me of my own time spent in the Word and the visits I receive from the Holy Spirit. When I take time to be alone in stillness in my quiet room—praying and studying the Scriptures—I ask the Holy Spirit to join me in my meditations. As I pause to reflect on certain verses, I invite Him to guide my thoughts and give me understanding. I never know when He will come, but I wait with great anticipation. Suddenly, I feel His presence as He begins to reveal and unpack the message to me. Though His visits are brief, they always leave me feeling refreshed and encouraged.

"The wind blows wherever it wants. Just as you can hear the wind but can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can’t explain how people are born of the Spirit.”  (John 3:8)