My Guest

My calendar is full. Wednesday I leave for Colorado only to arrive home on Saturday night and head up to meet my husband at a church he will be speaking in for a five day family meeting. I will be home for three days and then head into a week of meetings at our church. I am excited about everything that we have coming up. I also have been determined to be organized and not have anything take me by surprise.

I have made list upon list of things I need to remember. I have lunch lists made for Abbey for while I am gone in Colorado and she is here being Mom. I have lists made for suitcase packing that needs to be done. I have lists for the food we will need for the week of meetings here and have scheduled into the 'free' days cooking times to freeze ahead and be prepared. My efforts seemed to be paying off. I have my lists of things needing to be done today. Diligently I have planned and in my spirit I have felt ready for everything that was coming up.

Until this morning...

I was greeted early this morning by a,"Mom, I don't think I can go to school... I feel so sick..." I tucked her back into bed - planning as soon as the clinic in town opened to make her a doctor appointment. A quick weather check of the week ahead brought more uneasiness to my heart- 12- 15 inches of snow expected tonight and all through Tuesday! As soon as it opened, I called the doctor's office, only to find that the clinic here in town - 1 minute away - is not taking any patients today. (It seems the doctor there appears to have gone into labor!) Now, what would have taken 20 minutes for a doctor's visit will take me over an hour by the time I drive to another nearby town for the appointment. Needless to say, the morning did not go according to my 'to-do' list!

Trying to make up for lost time, I feed the kids I try to get them down for their nap. "Perhaps," I reasoned, "I will be able to get into quick mode and get things done while they are all in bed." While I busy myself with their lunch preparations I realized that my actions are quick and hurried, my responses to their requests hasty. Then, the phone rings...

The call informs me that we have guests that will be staying with us tonight, and with the snow storm approaching, it appears the stay will be through Wednesday morning. I am short with my words. I say that it is fine - by my spirit is saying something completely different.

"This is not part of the plan!"

"I don't want to sleep upstairs. I want to sleep on my bed!"

"I was not planning for extra people for dinner!"

"Why can't they just not come tonight!!"

"This is not what I had planned!"

I realize that my attitude is in need of adjustment. I take His Word and open it to the passage I have assigned to read today.

"For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty,and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered,and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?

And the King shall answer and say unto them,verily I say unto you,Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren ye have done it unto me."

I love how His word convicts our hearts when we are thinking incorrectly. With tears, I asked Him to forgive me. His plans were different from mine today. His plans are always better than mine!

So tonight...

Jesus is coming to my house to stay. Jesus will be eating dinner with us tonight and it is Jesus to whom I will be giving my bed. He has done so much for me - it will be wonderful having Him in my home. My heart's desire will be to make sure every need He has is met.

I am so excited - Jesus will be my guest tonight!!