How Did We Get There?

Several of the tables at our Ladies Meeting Monday were decorated with cornucopias. Not as filled as this one is, but plenty of fall related items to indicate a good harvest.

Our pastor’s wife prepared a lesson for us that began with Mephibosheth’s story from 2 Samuel 9, where David was looking for a descendant of Saul’s:

And the king said, Is there not yet any of the house of Saul, that I may shew the kindness of God unto him? And Ziba said unto the king, Jonathan hath yet a son, which is lame on his feet. (2 Samuel 9:3 KJV)

It is a very interesting story, from the time of Jonathan’s death through Absalom's betrayal. I should have paid better attention to the rest of her lesson, but I got stuck at the first example she gave – of how we got there, to the meeting that night.

We all came by car – not one of us lives within walking distance of the church, unless you count walking by miles instead of blocks. Some singly, some carpooling. It was sprinkling, forecast to turn cool, and we were all dressed warm enough to handle the change in weather. We all brought food – container after container of soups, guaranteed to make things warmer. Obviously, we had the finances to provide all of these things, we were blessed to have what we need to come to this place at this time.

That’s where the thought process went off on it’s own – we had just covered the basic necessities to reach this destination. What about our meeting with our Lord? How did we get there? What was necessary to bring us face to face to the question Pilate asked:

… What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? (Matthew 27:22 KJV)

In the Old Testament, God spoke directly to people. In the New, He walked with them, explaining in parables the kingdom to come. He spoke to disciples, saying:

And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. (Matthew 4:19 KJV)

And, they did. One after another. Others saw the crowds, heard the rumors, saw the miracles and they followed Him, too. Not Paul. He created havoc:

As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison. (Acts 8:3 KJV)

Then, he met Jesus on the road to Damascus. Paul got there by fighting against Christ and His church.

Not me. I got there – meeting with Jesus – at Immanuel Baptist Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma when I was a teenager. I had spent a few years in Sunday School; attended Girls Auxiliary; sang in the choir – but one Sunday night was different. I got there by realizing I was on the outside of an inclusive group. What it took to get me there was a lot more than a few verses, a couple of sermons or friendly questions from friends or family.

I realized I was missing something important. How did you get there? Or, are you there, yet?