When I arrived home this afternoon, my first thought was, there’s the dog.  The light brown boxer sat on the porch, patiently waiting for us to return home.  There was one problem with this picture though.  We do not own a dog fitting this description.  Although my initial thought was, there’s the dog, I quickly realized that this dog did not belong on our porch, no matter how much he looked like he did belong there.  I began asking myself questions like, where did he come from?  Who does he belong to?  And why was he sitting on our doorstep?

After giving him some water, I called the neighbors to see if I could find out where he belongs.  Sadly, no one seems to know where he came from.  Inevitably, he must have lost his way while he was on some grand canine adventure.  While he seemed content to simply walk around our yard, I cannot help but think that somewhere, someone is calling for their lost pet to come home.  But, instead of returning home, he returned to our doorstep.
How many times has someone come to your doorstep, in need of a drink of water, a morsel of food, a pair of shoes, or a tank of gas?  Did you provide their needs, or did you turn them away?  When someone in need comes to you, how do you respond?  This “doorstep” could represent more than the physical stoop outside your door.  It could be a phone call, an e-mail, your office, or the door to your church.  Do you really stop to think about who is on your doorstep?  Or do you ignore those in need, never taking time to really look at what is going on around you?

In life, it is easy to become complacent.  We become so busy that we do not always notice the needs of others.  Or we may get to the point that we do not realize something has changed with a relative, friend, or colleague.  Even if we notice a slight change, we could possibly interpret it as something that has always been; in the same way that I first thought that the dog had always been there.  We need to make a special effort to be attentive to the needs of others, always doing unto others as we would like them to do for us.

Other times, we may find that we are the ones who need assistance.  We may call out to Jesus, wondering if He hears our requests.  Instead of paying attention to His answer, we may ignore the blessings He sends because we are waiting for the answer we expect.  Instead, we may receive an unexpected answer.  The answer could even be sitting on our doorstep.

I am reminded of the story of the man who was caught in a flood.  He called for Jesus to help him.  A truck came along, offering to take him to safety.  He refused, saying the Lord would rescue him.  Then, as the water was beginning to rise, a boat came along.  Again, he politely refused, telling the rescue team that the Lord was on His way.  Finally, he found himself perched on the roof of his home.  A helicopter flew in to rescue him from the dangerous floodwaters that were surrounding him.  Once more, he said the Lord was coming and he did not need to be rescued.  The man drowned that day.  When he arrived at Heaven’s Gates, he questioned why God never came to rescue him.  God answered, “I sent you a truck, a boat, and a helicopter.”

Sometimes, God may be standing on our doorstep.  Sure, He may not always be physically standing on our doorstep, but He will always send the answer to our prayer.  Even if He answers a prayer in a different way than we expect, we can rest assured that He cares about every little detail of our lives.  Jesus said, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock.  If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me” (Revelation 3:20 ESV).  Jesus will never leave us.  He always has our best interest at heart.  If we will only pay attention when Jesus knocks on our heart’s door, there is no limit to what joy awaits.  Jesus is knocking.  Will you answer the door?  Will you listen His call?  Will you take some time to see who’s on your doorstep?

In Christ’s Love,
Jennifer