“Let brotherly love continue. Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels.” Hebrews 13:2………………
Very early morning. It’s all relative. Not so early for me. But to the rest of the world pretty early. Still dark. Mostly anyway. Not quite sunrise. The lights outside the hotel cast enough illumination the parking lot wasn’t pitch black. It was light enough I had already taken my rigorous morning prayer-praise-singing-to-God-seeking-God walk with English coonhound Esther-Rejoice who was still in need of a loving home after being returned to me while out on the road full-time now for ministry. I was just about to pop back outside the hotel exit door for a quick visit to the grassy area with 13-year-old dancing beagle dog Dancer when I heard a little bit of noise, turned around to face the staircase just inside the hotel door, and noticed a man with a bunch of baggage headed down the staircase. I decided to hold the door for him since he obviously had his hands full so I dropped the leash, let Dancer into the little grassy area to go to the bathroom, and waited for the man to come down the stairs. Once he’d come down the stairs and walked through the door I held for him, we shared a few words as he walked to his car to go check out of the hotel and go to his next destination.
The stranger just outside the door was putting his baggage into the back of his car which was just feet away from the door when it happened. Amid our casual chatter he said, “God bless you.” As I always do, I jumped on the opportunity to talk about the Lord. So did he. Clearly he had the same passion and fire for the Lord that I do. The stranger just outside the door and I almost immediately were holding hands and praying. With little Dancer at my feet sniffing around in the grass distracting me, I excused myself, rushed inside with Dancer, returned on my own, and hurried back to take the man’s hands. For a precious 10 minutes or so, with unfathomable sincerity and dedication and fire, the stranger just outside the door and I with our hearts and hands linked in unity in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ prayed our hearts out.
The praying of two perfect strangers bonded as brother and sister in the Lord who would more than likely never see each other again, the man heading off for his travels across the country which he saw as an opportunity to be the evangelist God had apparently called him to be, and I, an evangelist and writer also on the road for the Lord, reminded me of the love, mercy, and goodness of God almighty who would bring together two total strangers for such a time as that – a time of encouraging one another to continue in pursuit of God and God’s calling on our lives to help build His Kingdom.
Unbeknownst to the stranger outside my door, the words he prayed for me echoed much of what I had been writing in my Daily Inspiration recently. The Lord had known what we needed, had orchestrated it all, and had known what was needed concerning others for whom we had prayed.
When we finished praying, the stranger outside my door gave me a huge godly hug just as his co-worker walked up and it was time for the stranger to get back out on the road – for the Lord. Just as it was time for me to go back to walking dogs and continuing on with my day’s writing and ministering for the Lord.
The stranger outside my door was no stranger at all in the grand scheme of things. Christ’s followers are all part of one Body of Christ, and are to love one another, and to serve one another, and to bless one another, and to share with one another, and to give to one another, and to labor alongside one another to help build God’s forever Kingdom, and to encourage one another, and to fellowship with one another, and to live in unity with one another all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ for the glory of God almighty.
In the verse above, according to Strong’s concordance, the word “angels” comes from a Greek word defined as “messenger.” The Lord had sent me for those few blessed minutes of my morning a messenger to love and encourage me and pray with me and in turn to receive love and encouragement and prayer as the Lord used two of His blessed children to bless one another in the unity of Christ for God’s glory, yes!