Doreen gazed upon the simple wooden cross hanging above her fireplace which reflected the depth of her faith. A modest woman by nature, she lived in a humble abode with nothing much to her name.
No fancy treasures or decorations, just simple homely displays and all she needed to get by. her life was a testament to her belief in simplicity and kindness, guided by the teachings of Christ.
One serene evening, as Doreen settled into the comforting silence of her living room, a gentle knock on her door stirred the stillness. Surprised by the unexpected visitor, she cautiously approached the door and found a neatly folded note lying on her doorstep.
Unfolding the parchment, she discovered a message that filled her with both excitement and a tinge of worry.
“Dear Doreen,
I will be in your neighborhood tomorrow evening and wish to visit your home to rest for a short while.
With love,
Jesus”
Doreen paused a moment. Her heart was fluttering with excitement and her hanks shook a little. “Why would the Savior choose to visit me, a woman of such simple means?” she thought. “I’m just a nobody and haven’t accomplished much in my life. I don’t even know if my house has anything to offer Him!”
As she contemplated the visit, Doreen’s thoughts turned to her modest pantry. “I have barely enough to feed myself, let alone a guest of such importance,” she lamented. Determined to provide a warm welcome, she decided to visit the market with the little money she had saved.
With only a handful of coins, Doreen purchased a few loaves of bread and a small jar of honey hoping that these humble offerings would suffice. Oh how she wished she could have thrown a grand welcome for the Lord, but alas this was all she could afford at the moment.
Yet Doreen was undeterred. After all, all the best things in life come from the heart doesn’t it? She would do up some home made decorations and and a welcome gift for the Savior. With her goods tucked neatly in her arms, Doreen skipped her way back home singing a happy tune.
Along the way, her path crossed with a homeless woman. Abandoned and unnoticed by the rest of the world, she wore a face burdened that carried a heavy burden and a look of despair.
“Excuse me, maam,” the woman called out, her voice tinged with fatigue. “I’m so hungry that I could faint right now. I just need a little food or some spare change to grab something to eat. Might you spare a bit of food or a corner to rest my head?”
Doreen paused, her heart heavy with empathy for the stranger. She knew the right thing to do but wrestled with the thought of arriving empty-handed for her important guest. Her faith guided her to act with compassion.
“Please, take this bread and honey,” she said, handing over her meager purchases.
Gratitude shone in the woman’s eyes as she accepted the gifts. “Thank you, thank you so much my kind lady! You are the most generous person I have met in weeks. Today I can finally eat again because of you.”
As the woman turned to leave around the corner, Doreen suddenly felt a twinge in her heart and called out “Wait! You are welcome to stay at my home for the night! I don’t have much honestly, but I can provide you shelter and a little bit of comfort.”
She would just have to tell the Lord that she was “unworthy” to host Him at her home for she had nothing to welcome Him with. But when Doreen tried to chase after the lady round the corner, the woman was no longer in sight. It was as if she had just vanished into thin air!
As Doreen reached her home, her basket now empty she felt worried and a little sad about having nothing to offer for the Lord’s visit. Just then, she found another note at the foot of her door. She reached out and opened it.
“Dear Doreen,
It was so good to see you and your lovely smile again today. Thank you for the amazing meal and offer to stay the night at your home.
You have always been, and will always be worthy.
I will be visiting again soon!
Love Always,
Jesus”
In that moment, with a tear trickling down her eye, Doreen finally understood.
“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go visit you?
– Matthew 25:37-40
The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’ “
Doreen’s story is a heartwarming rendition of how we actually have the opportunity to serve Christ in the simple acts of kindness and charity to others.
The twist in the tale, where Doreen realizes that her act of kindness was in fact a service to Christ, illuminates the core message of the Gospel – the presence of Jesus in every person we encounter, especially the marginalized and the needy. This revelation invites us to look beyond the surface, to see the face of Christ in those around us, and to act with love and compassion.
“whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me…”
In the story we also noticed that Christ chose to visit Doreen in spite of her simple lifestyle, void of any grandeur and luxurious comforts. Doreen’s simple lifestyle is not about austerity but about prioritizing what truly matters – our relationship with God and with one another above all other material things. For even the “poorest” of people can have the richest spirit.
Another important lesson from this story is for one to not be deterred by your “unworthiness”. For the way we measure our worth here on earth is miles apart from how Christ sees our value. It is good to be humble and take pleasures in simple things, but we should never be drive to the point where we tear ourselves down for not being “worthy enough”. We are worthy, because Christ said it so.
Doreen’s story is a call to each of us to embrace the simplicity of our lives and to recognize the profound impact of our acts of kindness. It’s a reminder that in the eyes of God, the grandeur of our welcome is measured not by the lavishness of our offerings but by the love and compassion in our hearts.
