My grandmother was an interesting character. She lived for more than 40 years in the same apartment in Jackson Heights, Long Island, New York. She had grown tough and somewhat crude. I suppose she had to do that in order to live in a changing environment in that region.
By the time she moved to Florida, to be nearer my aunt, my grandmother didn’t have too many friends. When she moved to the retirement home, she continued her tough, inner city ways, and did not endear herself to many people. She became more lonely, and I suppose she was also depressed.
My family and I went to visit her. While there, she got excited and said that she had made a friend. Her name was Mary!
We got up from the chairs, and went down the hallways, looking for Mary. Unannounced, and uninvited, my grandmother began walking into rooms, and hunting for Mary. We went down each hallway. She stopped people along the way, asking if anyone had seen Mary. Mary was nowhere to be found.
Having explored every hallway (and possibly every room), we finally went to the nurses’ station and inquired about Mary. No one knew who she was or where she was. Eventually, I left and went back to my aunt’s house, not having met the only friend my grandmother probably had.
The next day, my grandmother came over to the house. She looked at me and said, “You know Mary? Her name is Alice.”
I guess it helps to know who you’re looking for, if you want to find them.
I believe the same is true in our spiritual journeys as well. We need to know that we are seeking Jesus. Without that, we probably will not find Him.
It is good to remember, as we serve ‘behind the scenes’ on the altar guild, that we are seeking and serving Christ in all that we do. Naming Jesus in prayer, and in action, allows us to stay focused on the ministries that He has given us.
May God bless you in all that you do. Greetings in the Name of Jesus.
The Rt. Rev. W. Michie (Mike) Klusmeyer, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of West Virginia