I’ll Come to You

For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

1 Corinthians 11:23-26

A couple of years ago, for the very first time that I can ever remember, I missed Easter.

When my alarm went off to get me moving in time to make the sunrise service, I felt a little bit “off.” I thought it was a headache, so I rolled over and made the decision to skip sunrise and get myself to the 10:30 service. It wasn’t long, however, before I knew something was wrong. It was vertigo.

My husband was eight hours away on a ski trip in Colorado. When he called to report on the fun he was having, he could tell something was wrong. But, I kept a stiff upper lip. I said to him, “Honey, have fun! This will pass.” I was sure of it. I insisted. But as the day wore on, the vertigo only got worse.

At 6:15 that evening, I called my daughter, who lives an hour away. “Hey,” I said, when she answered her phone, “what are you doing?” I didn’t want to alarm her. “Nothing,” she answered. So I said, “I’m sick. And I’m by myself.” And she replied, without missing a beat, “I’ll come to you.”

Just like that.

My daughter stood beside me, rubbing my arm, and serving me a Eucharist of saltine crackers and ginger ale through a straw bent at awkward angles so I wouldn’t have to move my head.

My daughter placed a saltine cracker on my tongue and waited for me to chew and swallow. “This is my body, broken for you…” Then, she pressed the straw between my lips so I could sip the warm and fuzzy Ginger Ale. “This is my blood, spilled for the remission of your sins…” No one actually said those words, but no one really had to.

Something to Do:

Forward this devotion to someone who has “come to you” at just the right time. Let them know you are grateful for them.

Something to Think About:

When have you experienced the presence of God through other people? When do you think others experience the presence of God through you? Why do you believe this is possible?

Prayer:

Lord, thank you for coming to me and drawing me to you. Thank you that you do not stand far off and wish me well. Thank you for being intimately involved with me, in ways I cannot even understand. Amen.

Explore more at the Theology of Work Project online commentary:
Introduction to 1 Corinthians