Is that you Jesus?

It was a dark and stormy night. i was down with a high fever, and there, it came! The perpetual 'sister, sister' knock on my door ( hmm, it is like the 2nd one within that hour) – just when i was about to fall asleep. Arrghhh, should i simply ignore it? It persisted and sounded urgent. Reluctantly, i crawled out of bed and answered the knock.

“ There is a lady who speaks only Mandarin wandering alone in the streets in the market. It is not safe. Can you speak to her?” came the request from the stranger.

I asked a few questions, reluctantly got my umbrella and paddled through the muddy streets of jumping frogs.

“ There she is.”

“ Come over to my place for the night. It is not safe out here.” I offered, yearning to return to bed.

“So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 7:12.

This verse rang loudly in my mind.

“ Shall i cook you a bowl of noodle?”

She ate. She apparently hasn't bathe nor had a proper meal for days.

I was deeply concerned. Through the bits i gathered from her pieces ( in my very limited Mandarin vocabulary), she traveled without documentation into Cambodia from Vietnam. However she claims that they ( she and her ' revolutionary movement') were given protection by the United Nations (UN) troops, thus they were allowed to move freely between the borders to seek asylum. Many questions remained evaded, more doubts surfaced. I was deeply burdened. What shall i do Lord? Grant me wisdom i pleaded desperately. I was frightened.

“For i was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in .....The king will reply,' I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least brothers of mine, you did for me.'” Matthew 25:35 – 40.

Suddenly it all made sense. Is that you Lord? In spite of all the rational speculations, 'danger' and anxiety involved in keeping her for the night, it suddenly dawned on me – Lord, is that you out there in the stormy night – cold, wet and hungry?

“ Come in my Lord, drink and have a bowl of noodle.”