“It is better to trust in the Lord than to trust in people."
~ Psalm 118:8
A lifelong scientist, Joshua’s intense
curiosity served him well. He dedicated
himself to the pursuit of knowledge. He
started with a point of view that there was no God, no hand behind nature’s
beauty, no supreme guardian of the world’s order, no spirit of clemency who pardons
all who beg forgiveness.
He travelled the globe seeking enlightenment. From the rugged heights of the Peruvian Andes
to the scorching Saharan desert; from the breathtaking Norwegian fjords to the
frozen base of China’s Great Wall, he desperately sought inner peace.
After a very long and fulfilling life, the Joshua passed
away. He’d never really figured out the
God-thing, so he was shocked to be standing at the heavenly alter of the Holy
Father. God greeted him with: “Welcome
my son. You were a good man, a hard
working man who took care of your family.
You shared the gifts I provided with many others. But, you never really believed in me.”
Joshua said, “God, if I could have seen you, or heard your
voice, or even felt your touch, I would have truly believed. I needed empirical proof.”
“Well, do you remember the time you stopped when you saw the
little girl crying next to her broken bicycle?
You couldn’t fix it, but you held her hand and carried her busted bike
home for her? Her mother hugged you and
said “Thank You!”” Joshua again said
“Yeah I remember that.”
Then God said, “Do you remember the time an old woman stopped
you in the mall? She was crying; upset
because she’s lost her son in the crowd? You bought her a cup of tea and went out,
found the boy and brought him back to his Mother. As they left, the grateful woman looked at you
and said “Bless you.”" Joshua said
“Yeah I remember that.”
“Do you remember the time the homeless man asked if you had
any spare change? He hadn’t eaten in 2
or 3 days. You didn’t have any loose
coins, but you gave him half of your sandwich and you both ate lunch together. When the man got ready to leave, he stuck out
his hand and you shook it?” Joshua said
“Yeah I remember that.”
God said “That little girl’s smile was my smile. That old woman’s comment was my voice. That man’s handshake was my touch. I was there all the time, you just didn’t see,
you didn’t hear and you didn’t feel.”
Open the eyes of my heart Lord, unlock the echo
from my soul, unchain the deadness in my self.
I want to see Your beauty, I want to hear Your Word, I want to understand
and do Your will. Amen
