Signposts: Daily Devotions

Tuesday, July 15

So he hurried down and was happy to welcome him.
—Luke 19:6

Whenever we open our heart to another, we will find that joy surges through our soul. Even when our lives are overflowing with activity, even when we are so lonely or bored that all we can do is feel the ache of emptiness, even when we are in the midst of despair as deep as a bottomless canyon, even when we feel as aimless and meaningless as a mosquito. Whenever—wherever—we open our heart to another, we will find that joy surges through our soul.

By opening our heart, we allow God's Spirit within us to welcome God's Spirit in another. We are taken beyond the walls of our own lives and placed in a space of holy love—a space too mystical for words to describe. It is like the still space between the night and dawn, between sleep and wakefulness. In that space, there is a holy encounter, and in that encounter nothing exists but that moment and that person and that space.

And yes, joy surges through our soul, as if it were a kite leaping into the sky.

O God, let me know that in the mystical moment when my heart greets the heart of another, I will see your face.

The Signposts for July are written by Renée Miller and originally appeared on explorefaith.org in 2004.