I watch the main entrance door on Tuesdays and Thursdays with joy because it means folks are showing up for Bible Study. It is my favorite thing we do here. We dive deep, we talk it through it, and we have fun while we study. When the first person pulls up and starts getting out of their car I get excited. So much so that I forget to greet the person at the door and I rush off to grab the last few items I need before we start our time together. Because I rush around so much, I miss the blessing of the greeting, of interacting; and I miss either being a blessing through sharing my joy and “welcome”, or I miss the blessing of the one who shares their “hello” with me.
Being at the door is important, but taking advantage of embracing the one who’s at the door is where it’s at.
There’s a moment in Acts 12 that makes me laugh. A sweet girl answers the door at Ms. Mary’s house (John Mark’s mother) to find Peter the Apostle standing there. He was jailed by King Herod and the Lord freed him miraculously in order to restore him to the Church and to God’s mission.
No one could believe he was there; it was simply too good to be true. The girl, Rhoda, couldn’t believe it because she knew it was him and was excited—so excited that she ran off leaving him at the door. The people in the house couldn’t believe it because, let’s face it, who escapes the grip of King Herod? But there he was, standing at the door. How marvelous!
Whether you are Rhoda, and find yourself running away from the one at the door because of your excitement, or you are the people who just can’t believe that someone is really here, it’s important to come to the door; then to greet and welcome them with joy and embrace.
Who do you need to greet today? What joy do you need to share with those who come to the door? Will you love them enough to stay with them and let them know they are welcome? Will you believe that God is actually bringing people to the door, that they are actually there so that we can love them and show them the same change and transformation that He’s shown us?
May we stand at the door as God’s greeters—welcoming, embracing, and sharing joy.
—Pastor Whit