What Do You Want NOW, Jesus?

One of my best friends serves in a remote hillside community in a very needy area of Jamaica. Her name is Karen and she is known to the people (especially the children) as Nurse. She serves strong because she serves out of the strength Christ alone provides. The following is from an email I recently received from her. She gave her consent for me to publish it here. When you read it, listen for God to speak into your life. When you're done reading, please pray for Karen and the ministry to which God has called her. Thanks.

It’s early in the morning, barely daylight.  I’ve already had my two cups of strong coffee, packed my lunch, and am prepared to leave soon to drive down the mountain and across the valley and up the next mountain to my job in Mandeville.

My attention is drawn to Matthew 18.  “The disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”  Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.  Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.  Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me.” 

“Nurse?”  I hear a little voice from outside calling me.  “NURSE??”  I ignore it, a bit annoyed, and go on reading.  “But whosoever causes one of these little ones….” 

“N U R S E !!”

My thoughts totally interrupted now, I push back from my desk, knowing that the little voice won’t just go away.  It never does.  It persists until I answer, so I might as well go and as cheerfully as I can, say, “Yes, darling?”  (When really I’m thinking, “What do you want NOW?”)  

And then I hear it.  Well, I think I hear it.  If God has a throat, He cleared it, to get my attention.  And I’m sure He does, and He did, and it did.  The words I have just read come back in instant replay. “Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives me.”

Feeling like I want to drop to my knees and beg for mercy, I open my kitchen door to be greeted by a child, one of my little neighbors, who has gone to the mango tree (probably for his breakfast), and has brought a few beautiful mangoes to Nurse as well.

I received that child in a new way that morning… and I humbly received Jesus in a new way, too.

image: actual child who knows Nurse.

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