Encountering Jesus

There are some people who in the beginning go looking for Jesus.  They see evidence of His presence in the lives of others, or they are captivated by His story in the gospels and start looking for Him as one might look for seashells on a morning walk at the beach.  There is a sense of hope and expectation which precedes that first life changing encounter, but it is more likely that most of us were surprised that Jesus showed up in our life in such a way that everything suddenly is changed.  It is as if Jesus slips up on our blind side and suddenly we find ourselves overwhelmed by His holy presence.     

Perhaps, this is the way it was for many of those who lingered on the edge of the road only to find themselves suddenly surrounded by a moving crowd of folks walking the road with Jesus.  Or, when we think about some of those fishermen disciples who were following John the Baptist, we see some men who had no idea at sunrise that sunset would come and they would be in a different world.  They were not looking for Jesus, they were not feeling a need to be His disciples, but Jesus showed up where they were and in a moment they decided to leave John for Jesus.  It made all the difference.     

Whether we belong to the group who went looking for Jesus, or the group who were surprised by His unexpected presence, there is one thing which is shared.  Regardless of the way we met Jesus, it is always a surprise to us at some point that He wants us to share the journey toward Home with Him.  I often say that when Jesus called me to be His disciple, He was scraping the bottom of the barrel.  Maybe others have felt that way, too.  The further we walk with Him the more we become convinced that it is really mostly about grace.  No, not mostly.  It is all about grace that He would choose us to go with Him and be partners in the Kingdom work.