It is week one. You have spent the last few days praying with the Holy Spirit and preparing to venture into the desert. You have no idea what the desert might be like or what you might be expected to do, but that’s where Jesus is and that’s where you want to be.
As you enter into your favorite prayer space, you close your eyes, and tell the Holy Spirit, “Lead me into the desert.”
As you relax and open your mind to prayer, you suddenly feel a hand on your shoulder and a friendly voice, “I’m glad you came. My name is Dominic, I’m going to be your guide.” The young man gives you a warm smile and says, “The Lord wanted me to show you something. Please, follow me.”
The two of you walk nearly a quarter of a mile. The sun is incredibly hot and your thirst is building. Dominic leads you up a small rock formation. When you reach the top you are surprised to see so many people there and so many standing close to the edge.
You turn to Dominic and say “Where did all these people come from? I didn’t even notice them until just now.”
Dominic looks a little confused. “They have been here the whole time. I wonder why you didn’t see them?”
Feeling a little embarrassed you look at the crowd . Oddly, no one is really conversing. Each seems to be standing alone amidst the crowd.
“Why does everyone seem so isolated?"
“That is how they feel,” explains Dominic. “They don’t feel like they fit in so they stand lonely and detached from others and nobody seems to notice or care.”
“That’s so sad. How could this many people go unnoticed?”
“That’s a good question, but an even better question is how many times have you passed these people over?”
“What do you mean?”
Dominic lets out a small sigh as he chooses his words carefully. “These are people the Lord as put in your path and you have walked around them as if they weren’t even there.”
"What? When?" You shake your head refusing to believe Dominic. As you look closer at the crowd, a few of the individuals begin to look familiar, and your uneasiness begins to grow. As you study the crowd your realize that some of the people were from your childhood, some were classmates, some were people at your workplace, some were neighbors, some you've seen around town, some were even family members. Your stomach tightens and the day's heat is feeling even more unbearable. You search for an explanation, but nothing comes to mind.
“What should I do?”
“I’m glad you asked. Jesus would like to talk to you about this. Would you be willing to spend some time talking with Him now?”
“Yes.... “
“Come on then. He’s been waiting for you. “. After a short walk, Dominic brings you very close to Jesus and before he leaves he says, “ Keep an open mind and listen carefully.”
Spend some time now with Jesus. Who does Jesus need you to notice in your life? How could you bring God’s love into their life?
-Susan
