I think it is a deep and abiding message, the parable of the rich man and Lazarus in
Luke 16.
All that we have is to be used in service of God's purpose for us.
The other day a friend and I were having lunch at a diner I'd not visited in years. Just as we were about to depart this quite elderly man appeared at the end of our table. We were in a booth by a window. We thought at first he was going to ask for food or money, so we greeted him with smiles. He said he just wanted to come in and have a seat, so he sat beside me.
My friend chatted him up for a moment and then there appeared the mans wife. She motioned for him and said they were going to go to their own table now. So the elderly gent slid out of the seat and stood , holding the hand of his wife. As she let go and turned to walk to their table, he sat back down again.
He was clearly drawn to us and we didn't mind a bit. Finally the wife again told him they had to make it to their own table to order. The gentleman took his wifes hand and slid out of our booth and stood again. This time the wife held his hand, nodded to us, and guided him to their booth across the aisle.
He was an older man, age spots on his hands and arms. He'd seen quite a lot of life and was now tired and confused.
I turned away after he left and cried a bit to know his plight. And then I bought their lunch. The surprise would come when they didn't get their bill.
The point is, I think in times like that God sends opportunities for us to live the life we're now in and walk the path we're now on as one of his own.
It doesn't become a matter of thinking about it. As in, I recall that parable of the rich man and Lazarus, so I should do this or that so as not to suffer that fate. Rather, it becomes a matter of living while following the lead of our heart. I believe that is where God whispers to us from.
I watched that dear couple make their way to their own comfy booth and with tears starting to well in my eyes for how dear and how lost the man was, and yet how trusting in that he chose of all places there to sit with us. And then this whisper entered my mind that rather than depart as we had been about to, wait for them to order and then put their meal on my ticket. That whisper overcame the emotions of sadness and yet without hesitation I did put off leaving. And I did wait till they ordered. And as blessings would have it, when there were two waitresses in our area, their waitress happened to be our own.
That's why I say, all that we have is there to serve God's leading. Whether we pay attention or not is on us. And sometimes life can be so noisy that we miss that. But when we pay , pray , attention, it's wonderful.