Love Came to the Mailbox…
Ila June Brunner of Morro Bay, CA, USA
“Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these…you did it to me.” -Matthew 25:40
“Jean, would you like to come to church with me?” I asked.
“I feel I am a spiritual person, but I’m not into religion,” Jean replied.
“I know you are a spiritual person, and I value the spiritual connection we share,” I told her. One day she said, “The next time you speak at church I want to come hear you.” Her interest delighted me, and we arranged for her to come.
On the way to church, I told her, “I think you will find our tiny congregation of about a dozen people warm and friendly. However, I want to prepare you for the condition of our building. The front was damaged and is not yet repaired.”
At church, everyone greeted her warmly, and she keenly followed all that happened during the morning. We discussed the experience on the fifteen-mile drive back home, but I assumed this would be a one-time visit.
“May I come with you again?” she asked as I dropped her at her home. She never missed another Sunday except for conflicts in her schedule. She experienced God’s grace as expressed through Community of Christ.
Nine months after she started attending church, she sold her home in Morro Bay and bought another one close to her daughters. She sold her home for more than she paid for her new home and felt blessed and generous.
After her move, Jean sent a message to the congregation written on her hand-painted card, which read,
I was lonely and you took me in. I was hungry and you fed me. I was sad and you comforted me. I was shy and you loved me. I was searching and you shared the way… I am sending a gift to help with your front renovation. However…. your church is fully intact with or without improvements. I send my love to each of you. Jean
Her love came to our mailbox. She included a check for a large sum of money. Jean, a frugal woman, responded to God’s grace with generosity, desiring to know God’s will for her life. God’s grace blessed the people of the congregation as well as Jean.
Prayer Phrase
I surrender into your love, O God.
Spiritual Practice
Surrender
What might it look like to surrender a little to God each day? A simple prayer of surrender can help us become aware of God’s consistent invitations to deeper relationship and awareness. Imagine when you encounter a challenging person or situation silently uttering this prayer, “I surrender into your love, O God.” The same prayer can be meaningful in moments of joy and gratitude as a way of returning to the awareness of oneness with God. It’s ok if we don’t surrender everything all at once all the time. The prayer of surrender is a constant practice of returning little by little to the deepest love that is the ground of our being and desires wholeness and oneness for us and all creation.
Today’s Prayer for Peace
Engage in a daily practice of praying for peace in our world. Click here to read today’s prayer and be part of this practice of peace.
