BUT WHERE IS HE?

 THERE'S AN OLD STORY ABOUT AN ABBOT OF A MONASTERY WHO BECAME VERY CONCERNED ABOUT LOW MORALE OF HIS COMMUNITY, WHERE THE ATTITUDES AMONG THE MONKS WERE VERY LOW. IT WAS SO BAD, IN FACT, THAT FEW VISITORS WERE COMING TO DO RETREATS BECAUSE OF THEIR LACK OF WARMTH, LOVE, AND ENTHUSIASM. OUT OF SHEER DESPERATION. THE ABBOT SOUGHT OUT A JEWISH HERMIT, THAT IT WASN'T EASY FOR HIM TO COME FOR COUNSEL. BUT SWALLOWING HIS FALSE PRIDE, HE DID SO NONE-THE -LESS. THE HERMIT DIDN'T SEEM INTERESTED IN THE FEELING STATE OF THE ABBOT. RATHER ,HE TOOK HIM TO A ROCK. AND SAID..."THERE IS YOUR ANSWER."  HE WENT ON TO SAY: "I HAVE BEEN  GUARDING THIS SECRET FOR MANY YEARS. "I ALSO HAVE BEEN MEDITATING ON THE SCRIPTURE THAT SAYS, "THE REDEEMER LIVES!"  POINTING TO THE HEBREW CHARACTERS ENGRAVED ON THE STONE. "WHAT DOES THIS HAS TO DO WITH THE PROBLEMS I HAVE AT THE MONASTERY, THE POOR MORALE, THE LACK OF SENSE OF CALLING?" THE ABBOT WANTED TO KNOW. "I HAVE BROODED OVER THESE WORDS FOR MANY YEARS," SAID THE HERMIT, AND I AM CONVINCED THAT THE REDEEMER IS NOW HERE ON EARTH AND LIVING  IN YOUR MONASTERY. "." CHRIST HAS COME BACK AND IS ONE OF MY MONKS?" THE ABBOT ASKED WITH ASTONISHMENT, BUT THE HERMIT REFUSED TO ANSWER. HE SIMPLY LOOKED UPON THE ABBOT TENDERLY, BUT WITH SOME SADNESS. THE ABBOT RETURNED TO HIS MONASTERY AND BEGAN TO LOOK AT EACH MONK WITH WONDER AND FEAR; STUDYING EACH FACE CAREFULLY, LOOKING FOR A SIGN; AND EVERY MONK SEEMED TO BE CHARGED WITH MYSTERY. THE ABBOT WONDERED WHICH ONE WAS THE CHRIST AND HOW HE SHOULD TREAT HIM IF HE EVER FOUND OUT. FINALLY HE COULD KEEP THE SECRET NO LONGER, SHARING IT WITH THE ELDEST OF THE MONKS. AND SOON THE WORD OF THIS ASTONISHING NEWS SPREAD QUICKLY THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY.
THEN THE BEHAVIOR OF THE MONKS BEGAN TO CHANGE.  EVERYONE TREATED THE OTHER AS SOMEONE SPECIAL, WITH LOVE, A WILLINGNESS TO SHARE, AND READINESS TO SACRIFICE FOR ONE ANOTHER.
WHEN PILGRIMS CAME TO THE MONASTERY THEY WERE QUICKLY TAKEN BY THE WHOLESOME ATTITUDE WITHIN THE COMMUNITY, THE ENERGY, THE LOVE, AND THE DEEP CONCERN EXPRESSED FOR THE WELFARE OF ALL.  SOON THE MONASTERY WAS THRONGING WITH VISITORS. YEARS LATER ON HIS DEATH BED THE ABBOT ASKED FOR THE HERMIT WHO CAME TO HIS BEDSIDE. THE HERMIT WHO CAME TO HIS BEDSIDE. THE HERMIT CAME, LOOKING YOUNGER THAN EVER.  "YOU MUST TELL ME, THE ABBOT SAID." WHICH ONE IS MY REDEEMER?"  THEY ARE ALL SO ORDINARY AND YET SO SPECIAL. I SEE SO MUCH GOOD IN EVERYONE OF THEM,
SOMETHING DIVINE. THEY ALL REMIND ME OF CHRIST."
" AND YOU HAVEN'T DISCOVERED THE SECRET?"  THE HERMIT ASKED.
"PERHAPS I HAVE.," THE ABBOT SMILED. FOR HE KNEW THAT THE REDEEMER WAS LIVING IN THE MONASTERY AND THAT HIS DWELLING PLACE WAS IN THE ABBOT'S HEART AND THE HEARTS OF ALL HE LOVED AND SERVED. "NOW I CAN DEPART IN PEACE," HE SAID, AND SO HE DID.

THE HERMIT RETURNED, TO HIS CAVE IN THE MOUNTAINS, BUT LEFT, THESE "SPIRITUAL PROMISES" FOR THE REMAINING MONKS:

WHEN YOU TRUST GOD WITH YOUR LIFE: YOU BEGIN TO CHANGE: WHAT HAS BEEN STALE BECOMES FRESH AGAIN AND YOU ARE NEVER BORED.

 WHEN YOU ARE READY, GOD IS READY ( HE'S ONLY A PRAYER AWAY!)

WHEN YOU TRUST GOD WITH YOUR LIFE: YOU EXPERIENCE MANY SURPRISES AN ARE ABLE TO REJOICE IN THE UNEXPECTED.

STAY CLOSE TO GOD.

WHEN YOU TRUST GOD WITH YOUR LIFE: YOU BECOME SENSITIZED TO WHAT IS GOING ON AROUND YOU BECAUSE YOUR SPIRIT IS FILLED WITH THE NEW EXPECTATION TO SEE AND TO HEAR.

GOD IS VERY DETERMINED TO HAVE YOU.

WHEN YOU TRUST GOD WITH YOUR LIFE: YOU ARE SET FREE TO RESPOND POSITIVELY TO THE NEWNESS THAT HAS INFILTRATED YOUR LIFE. YOU SEE NEW COLORS, HEAR NEW SOUNDS, TASTE NEW TASTES, AND FEEL NEW SENSATIONS OF JOY.

DEVELOP YOUR INNER SILENCE AND GOD WILL MEET YOU THERE.

WHEN YOU TRUST GOD WITH YOUR LIFE: YOUR WORLD OF EXPERIENCE IS FILLED WITH SURPRISES OF JOY BECAUSE OF GIFTS YOU DID NOT ANTICIPATE AND FOR WHICH YOU ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE.

ASK FOR INSPIRATION AND ASPIRATION WILL FOLLOW.

WHEN YOU TRUST GOD WITH YOUR LIFE: YOU ARE ABLE TO SEE MORE OF THE GOODNESS OF GOD,  TOGETHER WITH ALL SURPRISES, BECAUSE YOU ARE NOW ABLE TO ANTICIPATE THE UNEXPECTED JOYS OF LIFE, BY BECOMING A "YANKEE FAN." EVEN IN THE MIDST OF SORROW!

FAME AND RICHES ARE NOT IN JESUS CLASSIFICATION OF SPIRITUAL GIFTS AND BENEFITS.

WHEN YOU TRUST GOD WITH YOUR LIFE: YOU ARE ABLE TO FEEL NEW STIRRINGS OF LIFE WITHIN YOURSELF WHICH RESULT IN NEW EXCITEMENT BECAUSE YOUR SPIRIT HAS BEEN AWAKENED TO THE BOUNTIFUL MYSTERIES OF GOD WHICH ARE ACTIVE IN EVERY SURGE OF LIFE..    "AMEN!"