Knowing You're Wanted

Yesterday Sally Gary spoke at our communion service at Highland, telling a poignant story of her father. When he was a young man, he overheard a neighbor saying that his mother never really wanted him. How tragic! That must have been a wound that he carried the rest of her life.

Sally went on to tell of how much we all want to be wanted. To be welcomed. When she described the scene in the cafeteria where the little girl or boy is looking for someone to sit with for lunch, I thought how we all could relate to that vulnerable feeling we experienced in the often dreaded lunch room. We so much want to be wanted.

Of course, Sally eventually came around to the truth that because of what Jesus did for us on the cross, He now welcomes us sinners to His table of grace. He WANTS us. He LOVES us. He WELCOMES us. The blood of Jesus opens the door to the Father and lets us come to the Father by faith in Jesus Christ. We are privileged to sit at the table with the King of Kings!

Last night just before we had dinner, as she reflected on Sally's talk, Susan asked, "Do you feel welcomed by God?" I told her that I did because of the gospel, because of the cross. And yet we both admitted that we don't always feel deeply in our souls that welcome. So when we prayed a blessing over our food, we asked the Lord to give us a deeper sense of how He welcomes us into His presence. Right after the prayer I pulled off our bookcase The Message, and read Psalm 61. We were blown away as we heard these words:

"God, listen to my shout, bend an ear to my prayer.
When I'm far from anywhere, down to my last gasp,
I call out, `Guide me up High Rock Mountain!'
You're always given me breathing room, a place to get away from it all,
A life time pass to your safe-house, an open invitation as your guest.
You've always take me seriously, God,
made me welcome among those who know and love you."

That word from the Lord seem to come at just the right time just for us.

Have you found that one of the major ways you've felt the welcome of God is through the body of Christ? One of my favorite "welcoming" stories happened about three years ago. I was let go from a job, and not only grieved not having income but had this heavy feeling of not feeling wanted. Then Dickie Porche came along. This dear shepherd and minister at the Highland Church gave me a temporary job -- as the church's maintenance man! The income was such a blessing as I continued looking for full time work. But even greater was that I felt wanted and needed again. The staff at Highland made me feel so at home. The icing on the cake (pun intended) was when they gave me a surprise birthday party one Friday afternoon in their conference room. I felt love, wanted and welcomed!

And just think of how much more the Father welcomes us when we come to Him through faith in Jesus! These words of Jesus come to mind: "there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents." (Luke 15:10) He invites us to the party. He has a seat for us at His table.

He wants us. He loves us. Through Jesus, the welcome mat is at the door. How could we not want to come in and join with other sinner/saints in the celebration at our Father's house?

A guest in God's house, by His grace,

Jim